TEHRAN- The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade of Iran, during a meeting with the Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan, in Astana, while reviewing ways to develop economic relations, emphasized the implementation of joint industrial projects aimed at increasing the volume of trade between the two countries.

According to IRNA from the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, in his meeting with Kanat Sharlapayev, Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan, stressed the development of relations. It was decided that in order to frame cooperation and accelerate defined projects, bilateral memoranda of understanding between the responsible bodies of the two countries would be drafted and signed to facilitate the implementation of industrial plans.

One of the key axes of this dialogue was resolving financial challenges facing contractors and industrialists of both countries. In this regard, the parties agreed to establish necessary mechanisms to facilitate the issuance of bank guarantees aimed at ensuring the implementation of joint projects and supporting companies active in these fields.

The Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan, welcoming the proposals put forward, emphasized his country's readiness to provide legal and executive frameworks for more active participation of Iranian companies in Kazakhstan's industrial projects.

This meeting, which is considered an important step towards strengthening economic relations in the Eurasia region, ended with an emphasis on continuing expert-level negotiations to finalize the aforementioned memoranda.

Meanwhile, during a meeting between the Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade of Iran and the Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan in Astana, the two sides emphasized expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, transport and logistics.

According to IRNA from the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, at the meeting between Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade of Iran, and Nurlan Sauranbayev, Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, the development of joint cooperation with the aim of increasing demand and supply volume of essential goods, facilitating loading, unloading and customs clearance processes at the customs of both countries, as well as utilising the successful experience of sea lines between Iran's northern ports including Anzali, Amirabad and Nowshahr with the port of Aktau, were examined in order to enhance the level of trade.

The two sides also emphasized cooperation to attract Kazakh investors to invest in Iran's northern ports and supply the required vessels in the Caspian Sea.

Increasing shipping lines in the Caspian Sea between Iranian and Kazakh ports with the aim of increasing the volume of maritime exchanges and taking advantage of the competitive advantages of this mode of transport was another axis of this meeting.

Furthermore, the necessity of eliminating re-inspections of containers carrying Iranian products by Kazakh customs at the port of Aktau, removing additional port and customs service costs, and reducing the time for unloading and loading Iranian export goods was emphasized.

The parties also called for the resumption and re-licensing of flight lines between the two countries – flights that had been halted after the recent imposed war, and whose revival can play an effective role in developing economic, commercial and tourism relations between Iran and Kazakhstan.

This meeting was held in line with strengthening strategic cooperation between Tehran and Astana and with the aim of enhancing the level of economic and transport interactions between the two countries.

Back in December 2025, Mohammad Ali Dehghan-Dehnavi, deputy industry, mining, and trade minister and head of the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), said that trade ties between Tehran and Astana are entering a more dynamic phase following the recent presidential visit to Kazakhstan, with both sides seeking to expand economic cooperation through logistics projects and regional partnerships.

cooperation between provinces of the two countries was a key pillar of bilateral trade policy, adding that political relations had outpaced economic ties despite strong potential.

Speaking at a meeting on logistical cooperation with Kazakhstan, attended by senior officials and business representatives, Dehghan-Dehnavi said closer coordination and joint infrastructure projects were needed to rebalance economic relations and raise trade volumes.

EF/MA