Davoodi: Tehran seeks strategic cooperation with Astana

Astana, Oct 30, IRNA - Iran's Vice-President Parviz Davoodi here on Wednesday said that Tehran wants expansion of strategic cooperation with Astana.


Davoodi, who is visiting Kazakhstan to attend Shanghai Cooperation
Organization's ministerial meeting, said banking cooperation, which is
among the provisions of an earlier mutual accord, can be upgraded.

He said that Tehran and Astana can cooperate in the petrochemical,
refining, road building and energy sectors.

He added that Iran-Kazakhstan cooperation in different domains,
including the energy sector, would help boost volume of oil and gas
transit.

"Iran is a country hit less by the West's economic crisis due to its
independence and high capacity," he added.

Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov in return welcomed Davoodi's
proposals and said his country wants all-out expansion of cooperation
with Iran.