TEHRAN – Iran and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for expansion of economic cooperation, the news portal of Iran’s Agriculture Ministry reported.

The MOU was signed by Iranian Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojati and his Kazakh counterpart Saparkhan Omarov at the end of the two countries’ 16th joint economic committee meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan on Saturday.

As reported, the MOU covers a variety of subjects including opening of Iranian banks branches in Kazakhstan, visa facilitation, investment in Kazakhstan’s mining sector, increasing trade volume between the two countries, overseas cultivation, poultry and aquaculture, and medical as well as aviation cooperation.

Hojati, who left Tehran for Kazakhstan on Friday to attend the two countries’ joint economic committee meeting, also held talks with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Askar Mamin on Saturday to discuss avenues for boosting ties.

During the meeting, the two sides stressed the need for expansion of relations in all areas, especially in economic sectors.

Referring to the market capacities of the two countries, the Kazakh prime minister stressed the readiness to increase the volume of trade.

“Kazakhstan is fully prepared to cooperate with Iran in mining, pharmaceuticals, transportation and also to increase the number of flights between the two countries,” he said.

Banking as well as rail and road transportation cooperation were also among the issues discussed between Mamin and Hojati.

EF/MA