Tokayev pays first official visit to Iran

On Sunday, June 19, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Tehran on an official visit.

During the visit, the Head of state met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. The parties discussed in detail the state and prospects for the development of Kazakh-Iranian relations. Special attention was paid to strengthening trade and economic cooperation in the areas of transport and logistics, industry and agriculture, as well as to expanding cultural and humanitarian ties.

Welcoming the Iranian delegation, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan and Iran are celebrating an important date - the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. According to him, during this period, both countries were able to establish close interstate contacts.

"We have established a constructive political dialogue based on good neighborliness and strong friendship. A reliable treaty and legal basis has been formed between the two countries. More than 60 agreements have been concluded. The intergovernmental economic commission is activel. Now we plan to create a joint chamber of commerce. Interparliamentary ties have been established, interregional cooperation is being strengthened , close cooperation has been established within the framework of international organizations", Tengrinews.kz quotes Tokayev.

In addition, he pointed out the great opportunities in the transport and logistics sector, in particular, the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway line. At the same time, the President of Kazakhstan noted the transit and export potential of seaports in the Caspian Sea.

Speaking about cooperation in agriculture, Tokayev announced the readiness of the Kazakh side to expand the range of domestic agricultural products for delivery to Iran. He also expressed interest in implementing joint projects in the light industry and the agro-industrial complex.

In addition to this, the President of Kazakhstan said that the republic is introducing a visa-free regime for Iranian citizens for a period of 14 days. According to him, this measure is aimed at further expansion of cooperation in various fields, including intensifying contacts among the business community's representatives, attracting a large number of tourists. The President of Kazakhstan suggested that Iranian businessmen are making full use of this advantage.

In turn, Ebrahim Raisi focused on the fact that Tokayev's visit is a turning point in the development of Kazakh-Iranian relations across the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation. "I hope that your visit will give a great impulse to the trade and economic cooperation development, including in the transit-transport, energy, agricultural and tourism sectors", the Iranian President said.

Following the talks, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Ebrahim Raisi signed a joint statement aimed at bringing bilateral cooperation to the next level. Then, in the presence of the Heads of state, the official delegations' members signed agreements in the political, economic, trade, transport, investment, technological, environmental, sports, energy, judicial, research and tourism spheres.

Let us remind you that the current visit was Tokayev's first trip to Iran since taking office as President of Kazakhstan in 2019.