Pointing to the importance of the North-South corridor, Iran's President expressed hope that in the new presidential term in Turkmenistan there would be more cooperation and activation of the economic capacities between the two countries.

Iran PressIran news: In response to a phone call from Turkmenistan National Assembly Speaker Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow on Tuesday evening, the Iranian President congratulated him on holding presidential elections and Nowruz celebrations while emphasizing developing relations with Central Asian countries, especially Turkmenistan.

Referring to the expansion of Tehran-Ashgabat relations during the presidency of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Raisi said: "The will of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been to develop cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy, politics and security, and your role in achieving these goals is commendable."

Referring to his visit to Turkmenistan, the President of Iran said: "You can always rely on long-term and sincere friendship with the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Turkmen National Assembly Speaker Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow also thanked Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for his efforts to develop bilateral relations between the two countries.

After the election results were announced, in his first telephone call with Ebrahim Raisi the new President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, thanked Iran's President for his congratulatory message and stressed the need to expand comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. 

Berdimuhamedow said that his government is ready to develop the relations between Tehran and Ashgabat in all bilateral, multilateral, regional, and international fields.

Turkmenistan's Central Election Commission (CEC) said in a statement on Monday that Serdar Berdimuhamedow had won the March 12 presidential election with 72.97% of the vote.

Serdar Berdimuhamedow, 40, had previously been promoted to deputy prime minister and by his father, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the resigned president of Turkmenistan. 219