Kazakh, Iranian Presidents Hold Talks in Astana

Presidential Summit and Bilateral Relations

• 💡 Iranian President Masud Pishkan undertook an official visit to Astana, where he was welcomed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
• 🤝 Meetings were conducted in both narrow and expanded formats, involving delegations from both nations.
• 📌 President Tokayev highlighted Iran as one of Kazakhstan's key trade and economic partners.

Economic Cooperation and Trade Growth

• 📈 Bilateral trade increased by 40% over the past 10 months, with both sides committed to further boosting this figure.
• 🏢 Approximately 700 Iranian companies are successfully operating in Kazakhstan, primarily in industry, infrastructure, and agriculture.
• 💰 Kazakh businesses are actively investing in Iran's economy, focusing on mining, transport, logistics, and food production projects.
• 🌾 Kazakhstan is prepared to export goods worth $200 million USD to Iran, including a significant increase in barley exports.

Strategic Transport and Logistics

• 🚀 Both countries emphasized the importance of effectively leveraging their strategically advantageous locations for transport and logistics.
• 🛤️ There is mutual interest in enhancing the capacity of the North-South Transport Corridor and the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, which saw a 53% increase in freight volumes.
• 🌍 Kazakhstan views Iran as a gateway to Southeast Asia and Africa and has invited Iranian investors to participate in railway modernization and transport corridor development projects.

Future Collaboration and International Alignment

• 💡 Discussions covered prospects for joint projects in key sectors such as energy, mining, digitalization, and artificial intelligence.
• 🤝 Both presidents stressed the importance of strengthening interregional, cultural, and humanitarian ties.
• 🌐 Kazakhstan and Iran share aligned positions on many international and regional issues and cooperate within frameworks like the Eurasian Economic Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
• ✅ The negotiations concluded with a joint statement and the exchange of nine documents, including a memorandum of cooperation in media broadcasting.