Ashgabat Agreement was signed between the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan on 25 April 2011.

The document aims to create a reliable transport corridor for smooth transportation and transit of goods between the countries of Central Asia and the ports of Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.

The agreement boosts the increase of transportation speed aiming optimization of transport costs as well as simplification and harmonization of legal instruments and procedures.

As reported earlier, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov proposed to create transport corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman-Qatar and other states of Persian Gulf in Ashgabat on 19 October 2010.

Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar signed an agreement on creation of new international transport corridor, linking Central Asia with Persian Gulf, on 25 April 2011.

Foreign Ministers of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar inked the document in Ashgabat, capital city of Turkmenistan. Later, Qatar decided not to participate in the project.

The new transport corridor will run from Uzbekistan across Turkmenistan and then to the Gulf via Iran, bypassing Afghanistan.

According to the Uzbek side, the establishment of railway road communication from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to southern ports of Iran will help to create important transport network among the countries of Persian and Oman Gulfs and all Central Asian states.