In this meeting, Hojjati asserted that the two countries can complement one another and said “Kazakhstan is an exporter of the products Iran imports, such as barley, oil seeds, red meat and cattle.”
“On the other hand, Iran is among the biggest producers of dairy, powdered milk, milk products such as yogurt and cheese, eggs and chicken and can export them to Kazakhstan,” he added.
Pointing to the fact that Iran has not been involved in import, export relations with Kazakhstan, Hojjati said “the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to engage in negotiations concerning import and export with Kazakhstan.”
Underlining the business cooperation between the two countries in the field of fisheries and aquaculture, Hojjati added “Kazakhstan has a great capacity for developing aquaculture, and since Iran is the greatest breeder of trout and cold-water fish in the world, it can cooperate with Kazakhstan.”
Iranian minister of agriculture referred to the capability of Kazakhstan to produce Iranian products such as rice and said “we are prepared to give technical and educational support for producing Iranian rice in Kazakhstan.”
Hojjati mentioned the previous cooperation between two countries in terms of growing four types of Iranian rice and expressed hope that obstacles could be removed so that Iranian investors can cultivate Kazakh lands.
For his part, Askar Myrzakhmetov the deputy Prime Minister and the first vice minister of agriculture of the Kazakhstan underlined the necessity of expanding cooperation between the two countries in terms of production, importation and exportation of agricultural products and added that Kazakhstan can satisfy the demands of Iran for wheat, while Iran can export citrus fruits to Kazakhstan.
He suggested that the two countries provide each other’s needs through a long term business contracts and said “the two countries can set up a joint working group to expand cooperation in agriculture.”
Myrzakhmetov expressed hope that Kazakhstan can cultivate its lands using Iranian technology and knowledge.
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