Tehran, Astana ink economic MOU

TEHRAN,Jan.12(MNA) – Iran and Kazakhstan signed an economic memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further increase bilateral ties. Iranian Industry, Mines and Trade Deputy Minister Valiollah Afkhami-Rad, who is also the head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, and his Kazakhstani counterpart Vice-Minister of Economy and Budget Planning Timur Zhaksilev inked the MOU in Kazakhstan’s city of Almaty. The officials discussed also the implementation of earlier agreed projects. They also talked about future bilateral trade cooperation. Trade turnover between the two countries has grown to $2 billion over the recent years. Kazakhstan exports oil products, grain and metals to Iran. In return, Kazakhstan imports Iranian food products. At the moment, the two countries are discussing the possibility of cooperating in mining, agriculture, transport, logistics, tourism and culture.