Signing of 66 Cooperation Agreements Between Iran and Kazakhstan Worth $2 Billion

Iran and Kazakhstan signed 66 cooperation agreements worth $2 billion. Tehran hosted Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, April 23. According to the Iranian presidential website, Hassan Rouhani described the signing of these agreements between the private and public sectors of Iran and Kazakhstan as a turning point in Tehran-Astana relations, stating that the Kazakh government has always been a companion and ally of the Islamic Republic of Iran during sanctions and nuclear negotiations, and during the implementation of the JCPOA, it provided significant assistance by sending 60 tons of yellowcake to Iran. In the last days of the previous Gregorian year, Kazakhstan exported 60 tons of yellowcake to Iran, which was part of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers to remove Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles abroad and receive yellowcake for nuclear fuel production. According to Iranian customs statistics, Iran's imports from Kazakhstan in the year 1394 (2015-2016) were just over $87 million, while Iran's exports to Kazakhstan were slightly more than $137 million. However, according to the Iranian presidential website, Rouhani announced that the commencement of cooperation between the national banks of both countries, actions by banking intermediaries, and the facilitation of visa issuance for Iranian traders, along with the support of both governments for the private sector, could be significant steps in further developing Tehran-Astana relations. He emphasized that there are very good capacities and grounds in various fields for the development of relations between the two countries, particularly in agriculture and overseas cultivation in Kazakhstan, sustainable food security, and cooperation in mining, which are among the important areas of economic activities for both countries. Rouhani further stated that the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors, as well as oil products and transportation and railway communication between Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and even China, were other areas that both sides emphasized for implementation. Iran and Kazakhstan had been swapping oil for 10 years, but this operation was halted in the late 2010s. The two countries also inaugurated the North-South railway in winter 2014, which connects Russia through Central Asia to the port of Bandar Abbas, but this route has not yet been fully operational. Rouhani stated that cooperation between the two countries in the Caspian Sea, environmental issues, tourism, and the legal regime of the Caspian Sea were also discussed during the negotiations. The report continues that the President of Kazakhstan, referring to the signing of 66 cooperation agreements worth $2 billion between Tehran and Astana, said that the two countries have significant capacities for expanding cooperation in various economic, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and mining fields, and are determined to activate these capacities.