Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a Tuesday meeting with his Kazakh counterpart in Tehran deemed Iran-Kazakhstan relations solid and friendly, adding “Kazakhstan as a neighboring country has always maintained top place in Iran’s foreign policy and we are keen on having best relations with the central Asian country.”
Zarif then touched upon the issue of terrorism, calling for collective efforts in finding solutions to its pervasive hazards; “fighting terrorism and extremism is an important issue of our region that once placed on the agenda of bilateral consultations, can have considerable impact on common security of all countries,” he said.
The Iranian top diplomat stressed the need for boosting bilateral economic cooperation, adding “the unfair sanctions against the Islamic Republic are on their way to be lifted. Under the light of consequences following the removal of sanctions, we will be ready to pinpoint new opportunities in various fields including railway, energy, trade and investment and deepen mutual relations with Kazakhstan by creating new capacities and compensating for past shortcomings.”
The Kazakh minister, for his part, voiced his satisfaction with the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit hosted by Tehran on Monday, highlighting the two countries’ various fields for expanding cooperation.
“One of the fields in which Iran and Kazakhstan could expand cooperation is the Caspian Sea region which is highly significant for both countries and the transfer of energy could pave the way for promoting much closer ties with the Islamic Republic,” said Idrissov.
The Kazakh diplomat also stressed that regional countries must pool resources and strengthen cooperation for a practical plan to root out terrorism.
MS/2977916