The Iranian news agency Mehr reports that on 9 September, 2018 at a meeting with the representatives of the private sector Iranian Parliamentary official Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said that deteriorating bilateral relations with Turkmenistan is upsetting.
According to Falahatpisheh, the worsened relations between Iran and Turkmenistan and the increasing disagreements with the neighboring country are a matter of concern for Iran.
The member of the Parliament claims that both Iran and Turkmenistan are to blame for the problems, while enemies of the bilateral relations also play a part in the matter.
Apart from the gas row, the Parliament member reminded of a range of other issues, including Iranian nationals detained in Turkmenistan, the need for joint investment and the constraints with the border crossing procedures.
Falahatpisheh pointed out that sometimes a single issue brings the whole foreign policy of a country to a standstill.
Let us recall that in mid August the Turkmen national gas holding “Turkmengas” filed a lawsuit against Iran-based NIGC to the International Court of Arbitrations demanding that the debt which, according to various estimates, ranges from $1,5 to $2 billion be paid back.
A week later Iran articulated its claims, based on which it intends to submit a counter claim to the court.