TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and Kazakhstan have increased the volume of their trade transactions to $122 million in the first seven months of the current Iranian year (March 21-October 22, 2013), a senior trade official announced on Saturday.
The volume of trade transactions between Iran and Kazakhstan hit $122 million in the first seven months of the current (Iranian) year, Head of the Iranian Foreign Ministrys Representative Office in Hormozgan Province Saeed Shabansaid.
Shaban further pointed to the status quo in Iran-Iraq trade relations, and said, The trade balance between Iran and Iraq in the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 21, September 22, 2013) stood at $2.831 billion.
The official expressed the hope that Iran would increase the volume of its trade transactions with Kazakhstan and Iraq in the future through increasing exchange of visits between the two countries trade delegations.
In November 2013, senior Iranian and Kazakh parliamentarians extended their countries full support for the deepening of the bilateral relations between Tehran and Astana in all scopes.
In a meeting between Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Chairman of Kazakh Parliaments Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security Maulen Ashimbayev in Tehran, the pair stressed the need for further expansion of mutual cooperation between the two friendly states in various sectors.
Larijani described Kazakhstan as one of Irans good and valuable neighbors, and highlighted commonalities between the two countries.
Various strategic factors have brought the two countries closer together and bilateral relations must be expanded in different areas of politics, economy, trade and culture by fully benefiting from the existing potentials, particularly economic capacities, Larijani pointed out.
Ashimbayev, for his part, termed Iran as a powerful country and a good friend of Kazakhstan.
He stated that Astana attaches great significance to the enhancement of all-out ties with Tehran, adding that Kazakh and Iranian parliaments can play key and effective roles in facilitating trade exchanges between the two countries.
Last month, Secretary of Iranian Association of Technical Engineering Services Exporting Companies Siyamak Dolatshahi announced that 30 Iranian firms are active in Iraqs developmental projects.
Dolatshahi said that Iran and Iraq enjoy numerous commonalities in various fields such as religion, geography and culture which should be utilized for enhancing the level of economic cooperation.