TURKMENIA AND IRAN DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS








ASHGABAT, March 1. /From RIA Novosti's Viktor Panov/. Turkmenian President Saparmurat Niyazov and the visiting Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharazi, today met to discuss a wide range of issues of bilateral relations.


	Specifically, the sides touched upon problems to be considered by the Turkmenian President and his Iranian counterpart, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, during the latter's forthcoming visit to Ashgabat. These problems have to do primarily with cooperation in the oil and gas industry and a prospective agreement on Turkmenian natural gas exports to Iran this year and in the years to come. 


	The presidents may consider the construction of an oil pipeline from Kazakhstan into Iran via Turkmenia and also Iranian companies' involvement in the construction of a terminal for liquefied petroleum gas at the port of Turkmenbashi (previously called Krasnovodsk) in the Caspian Sea.


	Messrs. Niyazov and Kharazi pointed to the importance of the April summit meeting of the presidents of the five Caspian countries, at which the Caspian Sea's legal status will be identified.