‘Iran, Kazakhstan keen to bolster ties’

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic and Kazakhstan are determined to broaden bilateral ties on various fields, particularly in the economic sphere.

Speaking at a Tuesday news conference with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in the Kazakh capital, Astana, President Rouhani said the visit by a high-ranking Iranian economic and diplomatic delegation shows Tehran’s strong resolve to expand relations with Astana.

“The outcome of talks between Iranian and Kazakh delegations shows that the two sides have the necessary determination to enhance bilateral ties in different spheres,” Rouhani added.

Nazarbayev, in turn, described Iran as a reliable partner in the Caspian Sea region and said the two countries must work to increase their trade exchanges, which have witnessed a decline over the past years.

The Kazakh president emphasized the significance of Rouhani’s visit to his country, adding that the trip would have a positive impact on the future of Tehran-Astana relations.

He pointed to his meeting with Rouhani earlier in the day and said the two sides exchanged views on ways to bolster mutual cooperation in industrial, mining and agricultural domains. The two presidents inked a number of agreements to that effect.

Nazarbayev also proposed the formation of a joint chamber of commerce between the two countries.

The Iranian president arrived in Astana on Monday afternoon for two days of official talks with the country’s senior officials on the first leg of his five-day tour of the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
 
President Rouhani will then travel to Tajikistan for a three-day visit, the last day of which is dedicated to participation at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

MKA/HSN/HRB