TEHRAN, Jun. 29 (MNA) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi on Wednesday held separate meetings with his Azerbaijani and Turkmen counterparts in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat on the sidelines of Caspian Sea summit.

President Ebrahim Raeisi held a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan before meeting with the host country's president Serdar Berdimuhamedow.

Raeisi told the Turkmen President that according to the recent request of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Iran is ready to increase the volume of swapped Turkmen gas to Azerbaijan through Iran's soil.

"Facilitating the issuance of business visas and increasing the travel of businessmen of the two countries will lai theground for the expansion and increase of the volume of bilateral trade relations," the Iranian President added.

Berdimuhamedow, for his part, praised the efforts of his Iranian counterpart over expanding Tehran-Ashgabat relations, stressing his country's will to implement the memorandums and agreements reached between the two countries.

The President of Turkmenistan described the Caspian Sea as a joint venture for the five littoral states, adding, "We must work together to protect this God-given blessing while making better use of its potentials."

President Raeisi arrived in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat on Wednesday to take part in the 6th summit meeting of Caspian Sea littoral states.

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MP