Iran and Kazakhstan have agreed to sign a key memorandum of understating (MoU) that will enable the two countries to increase the volume of cargo transported via an international transit corridor that passes through the Iranian territory.
Iran’s Minister of Road and Urban Development Rostam Qassemi and Kazakhstan’s Acting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Jumangarin discussed the MoU during a meeting held in Tehran earlier in the day, according to reports published in the local media.
Qassemi said he and Jumangarin had also agreed on a number of other issues, including an immediate increase in the number of flights between Iran and Kazakhstan.
He said cargo transit from Kazakhstan via Iran could increase fourfold to four million metric tons per year.
“Kazakhstan lies on the path of trains traveling from China to Turkmenistan and Iran and agreements have been reached with Kazakhstan’s minister of trade to facilitate transit through this corridor,” Qassemi was quoted as saying by Iranian transportation ministry’s news service.
Iran has seen a major surge in international cargo transportation through its territory, especially to and from the Central Asian region, thanks to a recent understanding with Turkmenistan.
Qassemi said Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have been working on measures that could lead to an increase in cargo transit through Iran.
Jumangarin, who will be on a tour to Iran’s largest container port on the Persian Gulf’s coast on Tuesday, said Iran and Kazakhstan will continue to work to make transportation between the two countries less costly and easier in the future.
