President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran's extensive network of neighboring countries makes it difficult for its enemies to isolate or blockade the country.
Pezeshkian made the remarks on Thursday before departing for Turkmenistan, where he is scheduled to attend and address two high-level meetings, including a summit of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States as a special guest and a summit on the environment of the Caspian Sea littoral states.
He said his visit, at the official invitation of Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, will provide an opportunity to further deepen Iran’s relations with its neighbors and reduce the impact of what he described as a maritime blockade.
“The enemies cannot easily blockade Iran, because Iran has 15 neighboring countries, and through each of these routes, economic, trade, political and security exchanges can continue,” the president said.
Pezeshkian noted that relevant Iranian ministers have already traveled to Turkmenistan as part of various joint commissions and that talks are underway, describing the visit as an opportunity to expand cooperation with neighboring countries.
He also highlighted the environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea, including pollution, declining inflows and the shrinking of the sea, as well as increased fishing.
He said the Caspian Sea is an important asset for future generations and that environmental damage would create serious problems for all littoral states.
The Iranian president further said the visit “provides a good opportunity to hold talks with the countries participating in the two summits on multilateral relations, countering unilateralism, cooperation in the energy sector, and other political, economic, social and security issues.”
Pezeshkian later arrived in the Turkmen port city of Turkmenbashi, where he was received by Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.
During the visit, he is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with participating leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkmen counterpart.
The meeting, confirmed by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti and TASS, will focus on bilateral cooperation and the deteriorating situation in West Asia, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov announced Tuesday.
Ushakov said the two presidents will hold talks after the conclusion of all main CIS events in the Turkmen coastal zone of Avaza on Friday.
Putin and Pezeshkian last met in early September on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek. That meeting, which lasted over two hours, saw Pezeshkian express gratitude for Russia’s support during the war and under US sanctions.
“This support shows that relations between the two countries are not ordinary ties, but strategic relations based on shared interests and mutual concerns,” Pezeshkian said during the September meeting.
Putin, for his part, said Moscow had “repeatedly warned the United States and Israel that a military solution against Iran had no prospect of success”. He added that “the Russian people express their solidarity with the Iranian people, who are defending their interests”.
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