Zarif hails Kazakhstan for standing by Iran on various global fronts

During a visit to Kazakhstan, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran has highlighted the many historical and cultural commonalities linking the two nations, thanking the Central Asian state for standing by the Islamic Republic on various global fronts.

Zarif made the remarks after a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart, Mukhtar Tleuberdi, in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan on Wednesday.

Congratulating the people of Kazakhstan on Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, Zarif said “historical, cultural, political and economic commonalities between Iran and Kazakhstan are very important and these bonds have intertwined us.”

The top Iranian diplomat further thanked the government and people of Kazakhstan for their hospitality and expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the talks in the capital, Nur-Sultan.

“Excellent talks were held on important regional and international issues, and we thank Kazakhstan for its support of the Islamic Republic of Iran on international fronts,” Zarif said.

He also praised the positive role Kazakhstan has played in various Iran-related issues such as the country’s nuclear program as well as the Astana peace process on Syria — an initiative by Iran, Russia, and Turkey to mediate peace negotiations between representatives from the Damascus government and opposition groups in a series of rounds held in the Kazakh capital Astana, recently renamed as Nur-Sultan.

“We appreciate the pioneering role of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, on various issues, including in efforts to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world, and fully support him,” he added.

Zarif further said regional issues, particularly the Afghan crisis, were also discussed in the meeting, during which the two sides emphasized the need to respect the will of the Afghan people, democracy and ethnic balance in the political future of the war-torn country.

During the talks, the two sides stressed the importance of Iran’s presence in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and emphasis was laid on the peaceful use of the Caspian Sea, jointly by Iran and Kazakhstan.

Iran, Kazakhstan foreign ministers sign agreement

Meanwhile, Iranian and Kazakh foreign ministries signed a 15-article document for cooperation between the two countries aimed at reinforcing friendly, fraternal and neighborly relations based on mutual respect and trust.

The agreement aims to expand the existing cooperation between, find new areas of cooperation, and remove the obstacle on that path.

Zarif is on an official visit to four Central Asian countries for talks on enhancing bilateral and regional cooperation.

He has already visited Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan being his next destination.

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