Iran, Kazakhstan to raise trade balance

TEHRAN, Sep. 10 (MNA) – Presidents of Iran and Kazakhstan have announced they are resolved to raise trade balance as five times that of the present. Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president and Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s president announced the joint resolution in the press conference after meeting in capital city of Astana. They also told reporters that the decision would be further realized and finalized by ministerial meeting. This is the fourth time Rouhani and Nazarbayev meet within a year of Rouhani’s incumbency as the president. “We discussed ways to boost cooperation in economics, agriculture, mines and industries; investments by traders and industrial moguls in both countries, monetary and banking cooperation, and the future of a customs union with the Central Asian country,” Mr Rouhani told reporters. “We welcome also cooperation on tourism and academics. As both countries are rich in oil reserves, we discussed technical cooperation and investments,” he added. President Rouhani asserted that crises in the region from Afghanistan to Palestine and the necessity of a sustainable peace and stability entail close cooperation of Iran and Kazakhstan. “Kazakhstan has always supported Iran in nuclear talks with the 5+1; about the Caspian Sea, we have extensive discussions and agreed that foreign ministers address the issue ahead of Astrakhan meeting in Russia,” Rouhani told reporters. A Kazakh journalist asked Mr Rouhani about the mechanisms to boost trade balance between Iran and Kazakhstan. “We believe that trade balance would easily improve to five times as the current level through cooperation in agriculture, energy, mining and tourism,” Rouhani responded. Rouhani evaluated the opening of railroad connecting Iran to Kazakhstan as a great revolution. “The railroad connects north to south and would improve the goods transit between two regions,” he added. Nazarbayev told reporters that Iran and Kazakhstan had similar positions on developments in region and the world at large. “Kazakhstan has nominated itself for a seat in nonpermanent members of the Security Council and will need Iran’s vote for Kazakhstan,” President Nazarbayev told reporters.