Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Teheran earlier this month on April 11-12. The state visit resulted in the signing of 66 bilateral agreements worth over $2 billion. The deals relate to areas such as mining, agriculture, transport and logistics, tourism, science, education and medicine.
The agreements were a result of meetings and discussions with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
At a press conference following the talks, Nazarbayev and Rouhani emphasized the importance of strong collaboration in a wide range of sectors including transport and logistics, agriculture, science and technology, as well as in other areas such as environmental protection and tourism development.
During the press conference, Nazarbayev congratulated Rouhani and Iran on the resolution of the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions, which will open many opportunities for the country.
Iran and Kazakhstan are connected logistically by railway, highway and the Caspian Sea, hence the importance of positive development of bilateral relations, Nazarbayev emphasized. He added that the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway project was implemented thanks to Rouhani’s personal efforts.
“The first container train from eastern China to Iran arrived in 12 days. Transport by sea would take twice as long,” Nazarbayev said.
During Nazarbayev’s visit to Iran, the President also met with several private company representatives during and called on Iranian companies to use the potential of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, for the mutual benefit of both countries.
During the press conference, Rouhani noted that since gaining its independence, Kazakhstan has been a friendly neighbour, and added the need to strengthen bilateral ties and agreements, which will open further opportunities for free trade between the two countries and beyond via the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Nazarbayev and Khamenei both expressed satisfaction with the development of Kazakh-Iranian relations in a wide range of fields and excitement for opportunities to pursue new joint projects.
During the talks, the two delegations signed the following agreements, among others: an agreement on the transfer of sentenced people between the countries; cooperation agreement on plant protection and quarantine; memorandum of understanding between the Kazakh Ministry for Investment and Development and Iranian Organisation for Science and Technology on cooperation in new technologies; cooperation programme between the Kazakh Ministry for Investment and Development and Iranian Ministry for Industry, Mine and Trade in the field of industrialisation; extended long-term programme for collaboration with Iran on the Silk Road project; MoU between the National Bank of Kazakhstan and Central Bank of Iran; memorandum of cooperation between Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ – the national railway company) and the Iranian railway company; agreement and roadmap between KTZ Express and IRISL, the Iranian shipping company, andMoU between Baiterek, the Kazakh national managing holding company, and the National Development Fund of Iran.
The Brussels Times
