TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held on Tuesday talks with Kyrgyz leaders including President Sadyr Japarov and Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev on the second leg of his four-nation tour of Central Asia.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that during his visit to Kyrgyzstan Zarif discussed a range of bilateral, regional and international issues. 

The top Iranian diplomat congratulated Japarov on his election as the Kyrgyz president, and touched upon the existing potential for enhancing bilateral cooperation on different fronts, the statement said, noting that Zarif also expressed gratitude to the Kyrgyz president for paying due regard to reciprocal ties, and highlighted the need to follow up on the decisions already made in the previous round of talks by the two countries’ joint economic cooperation commission.

The Iranian chief diplomat expressed Tehran’s readiness for a third meeting of the commission.

Zarif also referred to cultural and civilizational commonalities between the two countries, saying Iran attaches great importance to the welfare, security and peace of the Kyrgyz people.

In the meeting, the Kyrgyz president emphasized the importance of boosting cooperation with Tehran, and added the existence of ongoing political relations between the two countries shows that both sides are keen to upgrade mutual cooperation.

He also expressed pleasure with parliamentary ties between the two sides, and underscored the great potential for mutual economic cooperation, especially in agriculture, pharmaceutical and construction domains.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also said that Zarif and Kazakbaev discussed bilateral issues, regional cooperation and international issues.

The Iranian foreign minister congratulated the Kyrgyz on the successful presidential election and Nowruz, touching upon age-old, historical and cultural relations between Iran and countries in the region.

He at the same time noted that the extent of trade and economic relations between Iran and Kyrgyzstan is not on a par with the existing potential, calling on both sides to utilize the great potentialities which exist in order to boost mutual cooperation, especially in technical-engineering, road-building, dam construction and transportation domains as well as building thermal, solar and hydro-power stations.

Zarif highlighted some of the impediments to the enhancement of mutual cooperation, including the coronavirus pandemic and Washington’s unilateral, illegal and cruel sanctions.

He expressed hope the pandemic could be tackled through vaccination.

He also said he hopes the U.S. would lift sanctions and make good on its commitments, paving the way for Iran and Kyrgyzstan to benefit from mutual cooperation in economic and trade areas.

Kazakbaev, in turn, expressed gratitude to Iran for sending humanitarian aid to Kyrgyz people in the fight against COVID-19, especially at a time when Iran is feeling the pinch of sanctions.

SM/PA