Ahmadinejad Calls For Greater Iran-Turkmen Cooperation

Ahmadinejad and Berdymukhammedov meeting today in Ashgabat (ITAR-TASS) August 15, 2007 (RFE/RL)  -- Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has called on Turkmenistan to cooperate in fighting terrorism and drug smuggling, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reported.

Ahmadinejad made his remarks on August 14 after arriving in Ashgabat from Kabul, where he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Ahmadinejad said that drug trafficking is among the "common threats" that Iran and Turkmenistan face.

"Political and security cooperation between the two countries is very good and satisfying, and so is our international cooperation. What has been done until now is very [positive], but there is a lot more than we need to do together," Ahmadinejad said.

Ahmadinejad today is scheduled to hold talks with his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, during which the two leaders are expected to sign several bilateral agreements.

From Turkmenistan, Ahmadinejad is due to travel to Kyrgyzstan to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization starting on August 16.

(with material from agency reports)