TEHRAN- Iran and Turkmenistan signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on electricity and transportation cooperation Sunday in Tehran, according to the IRNA news agency.

The MOUs were inked in the presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who traveled Iran for participating in the third summit meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which was held in Tehran yesterday.

Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian and Turkmen Energy Minister Dowran Rejepow signed a MOU on transmission of electricity from the Turkmen city of Mary to Iranian city of Sarakhs.

Also, a memorandum of understanding on transportation cooperation was inked by Abbas Akhoundi, the transport and urban development minister of Iran, and the railways minister of Turkmenistan.

Turkmen Foreign Affairs Minister Rashid Meredov said in July that his country seeks to expand and enhance energy and transport ties with Iran. 

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar in Tehran on business and trade between Iran and Turkmenistan, Meredov said that the two countries have been cooperating on water and electricity, as well as transport projects, and the cooperation will go on.  

In March, Iran and Turkmenistan signed 17 cooperation documents in economic, cultural, political, legal, scientific, and technological fields. The two sides are determined to boost their bilateral trade to $60 billion by the next 10 years.     

Turkmenistan was the 7th leading importer of Iranian non-oil goods in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-Septemebr 22), according to the Iran Customs Administration. 

Iran exported $451.76 million of non-oil goods to Turkmenistan and imported $13.692 million of non-oil products from the country in the seven-month period. 

Turkmenistan was also the 7th major importer of Iranian non-oil goods in the past calendar year, which ended on March 20, with importing $973.658 million and exporting $113.728 million of non-oil products from and to Iran, respectively.

MA/