The hardline president's trip to neighbouring Turkmenistan on Monday and Persian-speaking Tajikistan from Tuesday has been touted as an economic mission, with talks set to focus on energy contracts, infrastructure projects and broader bilateral relations.

But analysts say the tour represents part of an ongoing Iranian battle for influence in Central Asia, a strategic region guarded by Russia and sought-after by the United States.

"The fact that Ahmadinejad has not cancelled the trip, in the light of the nuclear crisis and the fighting in Lebanon, shows that Iran attaches enormous importance to maintaining a strong presence in Central Asia," explained an Iranian political analyst, who asked not to be named.

The past week has seen Iran's disputed nuclear programme referred back to the UN Security Council, and the country accused of providing military support to Hezbollah -- whose capture of two Israeli soldiers this month prompted the latest conflict.

"Iran is also sending the message that it hasn't been put on the defensive. Ahmadinejad's first visit to Central Asia will show that he won't be forced into a corner," he said.

Less than two weeks ago, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was in Tajikistan. The tiny Central Asian state pledged to continue security cooperation with the United States but rebuffed feelers for greater US access to its military bases.

Iran's ambassador to Dushanbe, Nasser Sarmadi-Parsa, said Ahmadinejad will be accompanied by his foreign, energy, transport and economy ministers.

"We are entering a new area for the development of bilateral cooperation," the ambassador said, adding the two sides were set to ink accords on economic cooperation, road links, hydroelectricity, geology and culture.

"Economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran is developing, with trade turnover multiplying several times over the past three years. There are 45 Iranian joint ventures operating in Tajikistan."

The visit will notably include an opening ceremony for the Anzob tunnel, a key road link between the north and south of Tajikistan, where vehicle traffic is usually cut off in the winter months. Iran has paid 30 million dollars for completing the tunnel.

Ahmadinejad and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmonov are also to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai Wednesday for a summit of Persian-speaking nations and talks on "combating international terrorism, trade cooperation and regional security."

Iran still exerts significant influence in Afghanistan's west and southwest.

In Turkmenistan, Ahmadinejad and Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov will discuss "questions of cooperation in the oil and gas sector, in particular the plan to increase the deliveries of Turkmen gas from eight billion cubic meters this year to 14 billion next year", a Turkmen government official told AFP.

Iran is the third biggest importer of Turkmen gas, after Ukraine and Russia.

Iran and Turkmenistan have carried out a number of infrastructure projects over the past decade, including the 139-million-dollar Korpedzhe-Kurt Kui gas pipeline and the 167-million-dollar Dostluk ('Friendship') dam.

But the Islamic republic is keen to present its potential position as a potential transit route for Turkmen gas and other goods, with economic analysts saying this idea has yet to take off despite huge port and railroad infrastructure investments inside Iran.

The Turkmen and Iranian leaders will also discuss the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

"Iran is aiming for a serious role in Central Asia and a greater presence there," Radjab Safarov, the head of the Centre for Modern Iran Studies in Moscow, told the Tajik daily Business and Politics.

"After the fall of the Soviet Union, Iran attempted to influence the region through religion. However, this brought a highly negative response from Russia and certain other countries... Then the emphasis was on cultural and economic cooperation, and this is already bringing results."

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