Astana, Dec 11 (EFE).- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Thursday highlighted during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, that bilateral trade has increased by 40% in the first ten months of the year.
“This is a really good result. We must maintain the pace and increase bilateral trade,” Tokayev said at the start of the meeting in Astana.
The Kazakh leader, who recalled that both countries are connected by the Caspian Sea, called for diversification of trade through cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, mining, logistics and transport, and technology transfer.
Tokayev noted that both sides are very interested in the development of the North-South transport corridor and the railway line between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, where freight traffic grew by 53% between January and October, compared to the same period last year.
The head of state also assured that Kazakhstan is willing to supply goods and products worth more than $200 million to the Islamic Republic.
“Kazakhstan has always supported Iran. There are no problems or unresolved issues between us. We have great potential for cooperation,” said Tokayev. He also highlighted the “deep roots” of their bilateral relations, as they are two nations “with similar customs, traditions, and culture.”
Developing further
For its part, Iran has invested $17.8 million in the Central Asian republic’s economy this year, including the opening of factories across different sectors and regions of the Central Asian country.
“We can still achieve greater success and bring bilateral trade up to $3 billion,” Pezeshkian said, expressing his confidence in removing the current banking obstacles that limit bilateral transactions.
The Iranian leader, who recalled that ties between the two peoples date back to the days of the Silk Road, expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation with Astana within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, which also includes Russia.
Both sides expressed their desire to jointly develop port infrastructure in the Caspian Sea, which also borders Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. EFE