Ayatollah Khamenei made the reamrks in meeting with the visiting Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in Tehran on Wednesday.

"Given the important place of overland and rail communications in the global economy, we are determined to complete the North-South transit route," Iran's Leader said.

The route would "link Turkmenistan and the countries around it to the Sea of Oman", he noted.

Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to a request made by the Turkmen official for Iranian specialists and experts to help build a highway running from the vicinity of Iran and Turkmenistan's border to the Caspian Sea, stating that Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development was capable of setting up such an overland route.

The Leader considered Iran and Turkmenistan to have much in common in terms of culture.

"The instances of cultural commonality serve as an important basis for further expansion of the [bilateral] relations in various areas, especially in the fields of energy and roads," Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

He added that there was room for further expansion of bilateral cooperation as far as the mutual commercial ties were concerned, saying Tehran was prepared to engage in such collaboration.

Ayatollah Khamenei expressed optimism regarding the future of the countries' relations, stressing the increase in bilateral cooperation stands to enhance the countries' standing in the constantly-changing current global circumstances.

The Turkmen official, for his part, expressed delight over attending the meeting, saying he had benefited from the Leader's vantage points and pieces of advice on numerous occasions in the past, including his former tenure as Turkmenistan's president.

"In this meeting too, I am after benefiting from such advice towards [enabling] implementation of great projects in Turkmenistan," Berdimuhamedow added.

He also pointed to his earlier talks with other Iranian authorities, noting how the meetings had resulted in the conclusion of "good agreements", especially some enabling participation of Iranian experts in road construction as well as water, electricity, and gas projects in Turkmenistan.

The administration of President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi has been pushing to forge closer relations with neighbors as well as regional and Muslim nations, as part of a campaign against the tough US sanctions in place against the country.

On Tuesday, Iranian and Turkmen officials inked five cooperation documents in areas of investment, energy, transit as well as exports of agricultural products during a ceremony held in the presence of Rayeesi and Berdimuhamedov.

In a joint meeting of high-ranking delegations from Iran and Turkmenistan, Rayyesi said that in the wake of Iran's priority given to the expansion of relations with neighbors the level of collaborations between Tehran and Tashkent has considerably been developed.

He stressed that Iran's regional diplomacy is restoring and reinforcing peace, stability and security. 

"We firmly believe that the major part of the region's problems, including lack of formation of serious cooperation in different issues is due to the presence of foreigners in the region," the Iranian president added. 

He pointed out that the presence of foreigners in the region not only won't result in security and tranquility, but also disrupts security and peace.

The former Turkmen president, for his part, said that Turkmenistan has always supported Iran's policies in the field of restoring peace in the region.

He added that the two countries will continue their collaboration on construction of friendship dam as a model for regional cooperation.