TEHRAN – Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) has criticized the low volume of trade between Iran and Kazakhstan, underlining the need for the implementation of joint cooperation agreements between the two countries as soon as possible.

“The $300 million trade between Iran and Kazakhstan is not proportional to the facilities and capacities of the two countries, and we should all try to achieve the target of 3 billion dollars of trade set in the joint cooperation agreement,” Samad Hassanzadeh said in a meeting with Kazakhstan Ambassador to Tehran Ontalap Onalbayev.

“Iran Chamber of Commerce is pursuing the faster implementation of the joint cooperation agreement between Iran and Kazakhstan with the aim of increasing the trade relations between the two countries,” the official added.

Referring to the logistics agreement between Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia, Hassanzadeh added: “We should be able to use this opportunity in the field of transportation to promote the trade among the countries in the region.”

The ICCIMA head invited the head of the Kazakhstan Chamber and the businessmen of the country to visit Iran, and said: “Considering Iran's capabilities in the fields of technical and engineering services, the establishment of power plants, the development of petrochemical industries, food, agriculture and livestock industries, construction, Pharmaceuticals and medicine, tourism, handicrafts, information and communication technology and knowledge-based products, we can form good cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries.”

He pointed to the interest of Iranian private sector for investments in Kazakhstan and said: “We expect the Kazakh government to support Iran's private sector more.”

“Considering the solution of banking issues between Iran and Kazakhstan, especially in the fields of agriculture and livestock, there is a very suitable field for joint investments, which should be used,” he emphasized.

Onalbayev for his part pointed to the good political and economic cooperation between the two countries in regional organizations and said: "Good cooperation between the two countries has been established and is being formed in the field of cargo transit and sea, rail and land transportation which should continue.”

About 70 percent of the trade between the two countries last year was related to Iran's exports to Kazakhstan, and it is possible to work in the fields of production and supply of meat and agricultural products, petrochemicals and construction materials, to increase the volume of trade and balance it, the envoy said.

EF/MA

Photo: ICCIMA Head Samad Hassanzadeh (R) and Kazakhstan Ambassador to Tehran Ontalap Onalbayev