TEHRAN -- Iran and Kazakhstan on Sunday signed nine agreements to strengthen comprehensive cooperation as Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived here for an official visit, hailed by his Iranian counterpart President Ebrahim Raisi as a “turning point” in bilateral ties.
The two presidents oversaw the signing ceremony of the memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on transportation, scientific and cultural exchanges, energy, agriculture as well as trade and economy.
Speaking at a joint press conference broadcasted live on national TV, President Raisi said the two sides have existing potential to increase further cooperation.
“In addition to bilateral relations, we are determined to expand our relations at the regional level,” he said, adding Iran and Kazakhstan share views on some regional and global issues, for example, on the consensus for an inclusive government formation in Afghanistan.
“We also agree that the presence of foreigners in the region does not create security and will cause many problems,” he said.
President Raisi also said, “For the Islamic Republic of Iran, cooperation with its neighbors in the Caspian Sea is a priority, and we seek to increase cooperation in this field.”
For his part, Tokayev said the two countries have seen progressing diplomatic relations and “good cooperation in the framework of regional structures.”
Referring to his two-day official visit, he said the two presidents discussed a vast host of issues. Both sides, he said, are particularly interested in using the transit capacity along railway corridors which would connect east to west and north to south.
The president of Kazakhstan announced the issuance of a 14-day visa waiver for the Iranians who want to travel to his country.
President Tokayev also called on Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who said the West is using the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to further expand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“In the case of Ukraine, the main problem is that the West means to expand NATO and they will lose no time to further expand their influence wherever they can,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Issues must be painstakingly monitored and we must be careful because the Americans and the West always seek to expand the scope of their influence in different regions, including in East and West Asia and scuttle independence and power of countries.”
The Leader also touched on the profound