Iran, Kazakhstan Mull Economic Cooperation between Qazvin, Aktau

Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Iran Askhat Orazbay and representatives of Qazvin Chamber of Commerce have discussed ways of promoting cooperation between Iran’s Qazvin region and Kazakhstan’s Aktau.  As Iranian media reported, Askhat Orazbay has expressed the importance of improving the cooperation between Qazvin, which is one of the major Iranian industrial provinces, and Port Aktau in Kazakhstan. He added that both sides boast capacities to this end.

Orazbay stressed that Iranian side made practicable proposals, one of which is creating a hub. He further noted that Port Aktau, which is also considered a free economic zone, has also been proposed for exchanging goods. "Officials of Port Aktau will travel to Qazvin in the near future. Kazakhs Embassy in Tehran is optimistic that both sides will achieve good and workable results during the trip," he stated. Orazbay called Kazakhstan as a very good place for investment, as 70% of foreign capital flowing to the five Central Asian countries enter through Kazakhstan. "Iran can export fresh and dried fruits, cement and certain industrial machinery and import chemical materials, metals, as well as some other items in exchange," Orazbay added.

Note that in November, Kazakhstan’s ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, called for the expansion of mutual cooperation between the two countries in different fields. During the meeting in Kazakhstan's Nur-Sultan, Nazarbayev voiced his satisfaction in the current state of bilateral relations, and at the same time noted that Kazakhstan and Iran should try to further enhance their interactions in different fields.

Zarif and Nazarbayev met on the sidelines of the Astana Club meeting in the Central Asian country’s capital. Bilateral ties, regional developments as well as other international issues were the topics discussed by Nazarbayev and Zarif during the meeting. Before meeting with Nazarbayev, the Iranian foreign minister held a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart, Mukhtar Tleuberdi. During the meeting, the two sides discussed trade and economic cooperation, especially within the Caspian Sea Legal Regime, ports, air transport cooperation and consular relations. Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Iran were established on January 29, 1992. Kazakhstan supplies barley, wheat, rolled iron, meat, sunflower seeds and rapeseed to Iran, while importing pistachios, dates, apples, plastics, tableware and meat processing equipment from Iran. - Azer News