ALMATY - Kazakhstan and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to hold the fourth Irano-Kazakh Joint Economic Commission in the new capital of Kazakhstan, Astaneh on June 26, 1998. The decision for holding the joint commission emerged after a meeting between the Iranian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Hassan Qashqavi and the Kazakh Minister of Transport and Communications, Arkin Kaliyev here Wednesday. Kaliyev told Qashqavi that the meeting between Iran's President Seyed Mohammad Khatami and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the ECO conference was a turning point in relation between the two nations.

The Kazakh minister stressed that the government in Astaneh gives importance to the promotion of cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all areas including transportation, communications, trade and oil. The two sides exchanged views on the venues on promoting bilateral cooperation between Astaneh-Tehran. The experts of two countries are expected to work out the axis of negotiation at the forthcoming joint commission.

The third joint commission was held in Tehran December 1997. Both Kazakhstan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are expected to ink new agreements in the area of trasportation, communications, trade and oil. (IRNA)