ID :
94910
Tue, 12/15/2009 - 01:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/94910
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Iran's commerce minister in Kazakhstan
TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) --Iran’s Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari is currently in Kazakhstan heading an Iranian delegation of private sector traders and investors.
In a meeting on Monday with Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak Shukeev, Ghazanfari called for implementing agreements reached during President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s visit to Kazakhstan and removing obstacles stopping
Iranian firms from working in that country.
He said that establishing an air route between the two countries would pave the way for Iranian entrepreneurs to invest in agriculture, industry, trade, oil, gas, mines and road building projects in that country.
The Iranian minister said that his country has sufficient wheat and does not need to import any from Kazakhstan this year, but it could help Kazakhstan by transiting wheat to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Shukeev said after the Iranian president’s visit to his country elevated trade between the two. Bilateral trade reached $2 billion and Iran has turned into one of the main trade partners of Kazakhstan.
In regard to opening a branch of Export Development Bank of Iran in Kazakhstan he said that he has given necessary instructions to financial organizations for this matter.
Elsewhere, Ghazanfari met with the Kazakh Minister of Transport and Communications Abelgazy Kusainov.
In his meeting with this official, Ghazanfari reviewed ways to enhance trade and implement technical-engineering and road building projects by Iranian specialists in Kazakhstan.
He said that until now ten joint commission meetings have been held between the two countries, however progress in developing relations has been slow.
The Ghazanfari said Iranian firms are prepared to help establish sea, air, railway and road routes to Kazakhstan.
He went on to say that in the short-term the two countries can increase trade to $5 billion and in the medium-term it can be raised to $10 billion.
The Iranian minister said Persian companies are willing to build train wagons, heavy vehicles, silos and gas-burning cars in Kazakhstan.
Kusainov said the air route between the two countries will be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2010, and the train route between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran will be opened in 2011.
He noted that 7 Iranian contractors are currently working on road construction projects in central and west Kazakhstan.
Elsewhere, Ghazanfari met with Kazakh Minister of Industry and Trade Aset Issekeshev.
In this meeting Ghazanfari said a practical plan must be devised for commercial relations and investment in Kazakhstan.
He added that the two countries have suitable grounds for developing mutual ties and all obstacles must be eliminated.
Issekeshev said that in recent years trade between the two countries has increased despite the global financial crisis.
He said that Iranian investments in Kazakhstan has gone up 18 percent in the first six months of this year compared to the same period the year before.
The Kazakh official said 128 Iranian firms have been registered in Kazakhstan.
Issekeshev pointed out that the two countries can cooperate in the fields of steel, aluminum, oil, gas, agriculture and road construction.
Iran and Kazakhstan, two oil-rich countries, both profit from subterranean and underwater oil and gas reserves.
In recent years, Kazakhstan has expanded its refined oil shipments to Iran, which despite its vast crude reserves does not have the capacity to refine enough oil for its domestic use.
During a March 2009 meeting of the ten-nation Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), an economic bloc in which both Iran and Kazakhstan are members, the ECO stated that it aimed to establish a free trade zone for its members by 2015.
In April 2009, during a meeting between the Iranian and Kazakh presidents, the two agreed to establish a joint oil tanker company and to improve cooperation in fields such as healthcare, media, and tourism.
The two leaders also discussed the need to overhaul the world financial system, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying that "Through joint efforts we will manage to neutralize the impact of the financial crisis and strengthen regional economic cooperation."
In a meeting on Monday with Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak Shukeev, Ghazanfari called for implementing agreements reached during President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s visit to Kazakhstan and removing obstacles stopping
Iranian firms from working in that country.
He said that establishing an air route between the two countries would pave the way for Iranian entrepreneurs to invest in agriculture, industry, trade, oil, gas, mines and road building projects in that country.
The Iranian minister said that his country has sufficient wheat and does not need to import any from Kazakhstan this year, but it could help Kazakhstan by transiting wheat to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Shukeev said after the Iranian president’s visit to his country elevated trade between the two. Bilateral trade reached $2 billion and Iran has turned into one of the main trade partners of Kazakhstan.
In regard to opening a branch of Export Development Bank of Iran in Kazakhstan he said that he has given necessary instructions to financial organizations for this matter.
Elsewhere, Ghazanfari met with the Kazakh Minister of Transport and Communications Abelgazy Kusainov.
In his meeting with this official, Ghazanfari reviewed ways to enhance trade and implement technical-engineering and road building projects by Iranian specialists in Kazakhstan.
He said that until now ten joint commission meetings have been held between the two countries, however progress in developing relations has been slow.
The Ghazanfari said Iranian firms are prepared to help establish sea, air, railway and road routes to Kazakhstan.
He went on to say that in the short-term the two countries can increase trade to $5 billion and in the medium-term it can be raised to $10 billion.
The Iranian minister said Persian companies are willing to build train wagons, heavy vehicles, silos and gas-burning cars in Kazakhstan.
Kusainov said the air route between the two countries will be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2010, and the train route between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran will be opened in 2011.
He noted that 7 Iranian contractors are currently working on road construction projects in central and west Kazakhstan.
Elsewhere, Ghazanfari met with Kazakh Minister of Industry and Trade Aset Issekeshev.
In this meeting Ghazanfari said a practical plan must be devised for commercial relations and investment in Kazakhstan.
He added that the two countries have suitable grounds for developing mutual ties and all obstacles must be eliminated.
Issekeshev said that in recent years trade between the two countries has increased despite the global financial crisis.
He said that Iranian investments in Kazakhstan has gone up 18 percent in the first six months of this year compared to the same period the year before.
The Kazakh official said 128 Iranian firms have been registered in Kazakhstan.
Issekeshev pointed out that the two countries can cooperate in the fields of steel, aluminum, oil, gas, agriculture and road construction.
Iran and Kazakhstan, two oil-rich countries, both profit from subterranean and underwater oil and gas reserves.
In recent years, Kazakhstan has expanded its refined oil shipments to Iran, which despite its vast crude reserves does not have the capacity to refine enough oil for its domestic use.
During a March 2009 meeting of the ten-nation Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), an economic bloc in which both Iran and Kazakhstan are members, the ECO stated that it aimed to establish a free trade zone for its members by 2015.
In April 2009, during a meeting between the Iranian and Kazakh presidents, the two agreed to establish a joint oil tanker company and to improve cooperation in fields such as healthcare, media, and tourism.
The two leaders also discussed the need to overhaul the world financial system, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying that "Through joint efforts we will manage to neutralize the impact of the financial crisis and strengthen regional economic cooperation."
