Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has hailed the significant growth of trade ties between his country and the Caspian Sea state of Kazakhstan over the past year, but said that the current level of those relations is insufficient and the two sides should step up efforts to further expand them, Trend reports citing IRNA.
The president made those comments on Wednesday night as he held talks with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov in the capital Tehran.
The current level of trade relations between the two sides does not match the capacities the two countries have, Raisi said, adding that more efforts should be put into promoting those relations.
He stressed the need for investing in transit infrastructures in areas stretching from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf region, developing transportation to facilitate trade cooperation, and using innovative mechanisms in money and banking sectors, as well as promoting cooperation in the agriculture sector.
The Iranian president meanwhile called for developing cultural ties between the two countries.
Prime Minister Smailov admitted that the current level of relations between Iran and Kazakhstan does not match the capacities they have, and noted that his country is interested in further developing ties with Iran, particularly in economy.
Smailov arrived in Tehran earlier on Wednesday at the head of a high-ranking delegation and was welcomed by First Vice-president Mohammad Mokhber.