Source: Mehr News
TEHRAN, Aug. 30 — Iranian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Mohammad Reza Forqani has emphasized that Iran agrees with the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus on the necessity of waging a campaign against extremism and Salafism.
“The expansion of Salafism in Central Asia is surely a security threat to Iran, and we are coordinating with the Central Asian countries to impede its expansion,” he said during a visit to the offices of the Mehr News Agency on Saturday.
He elaborated on the current state of affairs in Ashgabat, stating, “A trace of extremism is discernible in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. It seems that the efforts of some NATO members to create links with terrorist groups like the Taleban… have complicated the situation.”
Pointing to Russia’s focus on Central Asia, Forqani said, “As a result of recent developments in the region, the United States is being forced to withdraw from the region. They have been expelled from Uzbekistan and have inadequate facilities in Kyrgyzstan.”
“Moscow has firm plans to fill the vacuum left by the absence of the United States from the region… In addition, the Central Asian countries enjoy special relations with Russia.”
The ambassador added that Iran denounces the external powers’ presence in the region.
Asked about Turkmenistan’s stance on the Caspian Sea legal regime, Forqani stated, “In this regard, Turkmenistan has the closest stance to Iran’s. We have no fundamental and serious problem with the Turkmen on the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan’s approach to the Caspian Sea issue is completely logical and peaceful.”
The 1200-kilometer Iran-Turkmenistan border is Iran’s safest border, he observed.
“We have the longest border with Turkmenistan. We have never had any security problems on the border with this country,” he said.
Filed under: Central Asia, Mehr News, Turkmenistan , Salafism
