Iran Press/Asia: The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in Kazakhstan for the third destination of his trip to four Central Asian countries, explained the issues raised at the meeting today after meeting with Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Zarif said: "We thank Kazakhstan for its support to Iran in the international arena, for the positive role that Kazakhstan plays in various issues; In the nuclear debate, Astana process on Syria. We support Nazarbayev's pioneering role in various issues, including a world free of nuclear weapons, and we fully support Kazakhstan's position."
Zarif added: "We talked about regional issues and the crisis in Afghanistan and stressed the need to respect the Afghans' wishes and achievements and the need to continue democracy in this country and the ethnic and linguistic balance in the future of Afghanistan."
He said: "The role of Iran in the Eurasian Economic Union to expand bilateral relations, peaceful use of the Caspian Sea, railways and joint transit routes between Iran, Kazakhstan, and other neighbors, were among the other topics discussed."
"We are very pleased that our Kazakh friends will increase their presence and that Iran will be Kazakhstan's access route to international waters," he said.
Zarif also congratulated his Kazakh counterpart on the Sputnik vaccine's joint production in cooperation with Russia, calling it a great success.
Zarif has previously traveled to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to meet with the two countries' presidents and foreign ministers.
Turkmenistan is the next destination of the Iranian Foreign Minister.
Zarif also traveled to Tajikistan last week.
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Zarif meets his Kazakh counterpart to discuss mutual interest
