DUSHANBE (IRNA) -- Iranian Commerce Minister Masoud Mirkazemi met with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov in Bishkek on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the two sides emphasized on expansion of mutual ties in the fields of economy and politics.
The Kyrgyz PM termed Tehran-Bishkek ties as growing.
He also expressed satisfaction over the ninth session of Iran-Kyrgyzstan Joint Economic and Trade Commission which was held in Bishkek on Tuesday.
“Kyrgyzstan is going to expand its cooperation with its good partners including the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Chudinov said.
The Kyrgyz official also urged Iranian companies to cooperate with this country in implementing infrastructure projects.
Chudinov further hoped that Kyrgyzstan could promote its economic and trade activities in Bandar Abbas Free Trade Zone.
Mirkazemi, for his part, appreciated the Kyrgyz government for hosting the meeting, expressing hope that the volume of bilateral transactions would increase in near future.
------------- banking cooperation talks
Mirkazemi also on Wednesday held talks with Kyrgyz Minister of Finance Tajikan Kalibetova on ways to develop banking and economic cooperation.
Mirkazemi expressed Iranian companies’ readiness to cooperate with their Kyrgyz partners in all economic fields.
The Iranian minister said that the US financial crisis spread to other countries, adding that solving that crisis needs regional cooperation.
Referring to various memoranda of understanding inked by the two countries, Mir-Kazemi welcomed further mutual ties, particularly in banking.
Meanwhile, the Kyrgyz finance minister expressed pleasure over 47 percent growth in Tehran-Bishkek trade, calling for enhancing the level of economic cooperation.
Kalibetova added that her country is in freak economic conditions in the aftermath of the world financial crisis.
She hoped that the Iranian companies would exercise active participation in the Kyrgyz infrastructural projects.
She said that presence of the Iranian banks in her country helps broaden commercial cooperation.
Referring to an agreement inked during the 9th meeting of Iran-Kyrgyzstan joint economic commission that was held in Bishkek, she called for making greater efforts to implement the accords already reached between the two countries.
------------------ Mirkazemi meets Kyrgyz FM
In a meeting with Mirkazemi, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ednan Karabayev on Tuesday expressed pleasure with the current level of Tehran-Bishkek cooperation and the meeting of the 9th Joint Economic Commission.
He appreciated participation of Iranian companies in various development projects in his country and called for removing the obstacles in the way of further activation of the Iranian companies in Kyrgyzstan.
Karabayev then voiced his country’s interest to make use of Iranian ports for transit of Kyrgyz goods.
The Iranian minister urged the Kyrgyz government to facilitate trade and investment activities in the country as well as visa issuance for the Iranian businessmen.
As to the global financial crisis, he called for cooperation among all regional countries in order to counter such a problem.