Iran, Kazakhstan poised to expand ties: Rouhani

Iran’s President 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, Hassan Rouhani said the visit by a high-ranking Iranian economic and diplomatic delegation shows Tehran’s strong resolve to expand relations with Astana.
He added that “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”.
The Kazakh president, 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.
Nazarbayev 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 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.