Tehran denies reducing ties with Caucasus, Central Asia

Tehran, Iran, April 11

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari has denied the shrinking of ties between Iran and Central Asian countries.

"Iran ties with Central Asia and Caucasus have not shrunken. Iran is in constant engagement with these countries, as witnessed by two trilateral meetings held last week," Jaber Ansari told a press conference in Tehran April 11, Trend's correspondent reported.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Tehran on a two-day official visit this morning.

Tehran and Astana are expected to sign several documents on cooperation. On the eve of Nazarbayev's official visit to Tehran Iranian and Kazakh companies signed 44 memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth at $1 billion.

The MoUs were signed between 10 governmental companies and more than 34 private companies from both sides on April 10.

Nazarbayev is in Tehran at the invitation of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani. The two presidents are expected to discuss the implementation of agreements reached during Rouhani's visit to Astana in September 2014.

Meanwhile, the ways to strengthen cooperation in trade and economic, investment, agriculture, transit and transport spheres and cooperation in the sphere of international and regional security will also be discussed during Nazarbayev's visit.

In the meantime, Tehran enjoys friendly ties with Caucuses states such as Azerbaijan and Georgia.