Iran, Kazakhstan eye $3b trade level
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to meet Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber.
Smailov is in Tehran to review the latest status of bilateral relations between Tehran and Astana, as well as co-chairing the Iran-Kazakhstan Joint Economic Commission with Mokhber.
Upon his arrival, the Kazakh premier was welcomed by acting Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aghamiri.
According to the political deputy to Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, Mohammad Jamshidi, planning and coordination to improve the level of cooperation between Tehran and Astana in the field of transportation, exports, technical and engineering services, transit, cooperation in the field of energy and banking relations will be among the most important topics on the agenda of the two delegations during the visit of the Kazakh premier to Tehran.
Jamshidi added that implementing the agreements of the presidents of the two countries will be the focus of Smailov’s consultations with Mokhber.
Mokhber held a meeting with Smailov, followed by a press conference at the Sa’dabad Complex in Tehran on Wednesday afternoon.
After his meeting with Smailov, Mokhber said, “It was decided to increase the economic relations between the two countries to three billion dollars annually.”
He added, “Although our economic relations have increased by 20%, to more than $500 million, the economic relations still do not match the high-level political relations.”
Good decisions were made and it was decided to quickly develop a temporary roadmap between Iran and Kazakhstan, Mokhber added.
Smailov, for his part, thanked Mokhber for his warm welcome, saying that Iran and Kazakhstan have friendly relations.
“Constructive political dialogues have been established between the two countries, and economic and cultural relations are developing. Expanding cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran continues,” the Kazakh prime minister noted.
He then concluded his remarks by saying that Astana views Iran as an important foreign market.