Azernews.Az

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Kazakhstan and Iran are building relations at the level of bilateral cooperation and the friendly relations between the two countries are strengthening.

Kazakh Agriculture Minister Saparkhan Omarov, has met with the Ambassador of Iran in Kazakhstan, Majid Samadzadeh Saber, according to the press service of the Agriculture Ministry.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the preparation for the next 16th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation in Nur-Sultan. In early 2019, the function of the co-chairman of the Kazakh-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission were transferred to the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry.

The parties also discussed issues of increasing agricultural commodity turnover between Kazakhstan and Iran. The sides reached mutual understanding on ways to increase commodity turnover in the coming years to $3 billion (trade in 2007 accounted for $2.4 billion).

The Kazakh and Iranian sides also paid particular attention to the issue of investment cooperation. The Iranian side expressed interest in implementing joint projects in the field of processing agricultural products in Kazakhstan for further export to Iran.

Compared with 2017, the trade turnover of Kazakhstan with Iran in the agro-industrial sector in 2018 increased by 1.8 times (from $197.8 million to $364.7 million).

In particular, exports of agricultural products from Kazakhstan to Iran in 2018 increased by 1.9 times (from $169.3 million to $328.9 million). Imports from Iran to Kazakhstan increased by 25.7 percent (from $28.5 million to $35.9 million).

Iran was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan. Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Iran were established on January 29, 1992.

Kazakhstan mainly supplies barley, wheat, rolled iron, meat, sunflower seeds and rapeseed to Iran, and imports pistachios, dates, apples, plastics, tableware and meat processing equipment from the country.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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