The second phase of a pipeline of 1.2 billion Gas Link

Iran and Turkmenistan, today launched the second phase of a pipeline of 1.2 billion U.S. dollars to double gas exports from Turkmenistan to the Persian Gulf country of 20 million cubic meters a year, said Press TV.

The opening ceremony, attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, was held today in the border city of Sarakhs in northern Iran, state news channel said.

"Iran is ready for any cooperation with Turkmenistan," said Ahmadinejad in a speech at the ceremony, part of which was broadcast live on Press TV.

Turkmenistan, the holder of the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world, opened a gas pipeline in January 2009 to deliver gas to neighboring Iran, central Asia nation sought to diversify the markets.