The president of Iran outlined the target of raising the value of annual trade exchanges with Kazakhstan to $3 billion. In comments at a press conference after a meeting with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, held in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the trade interaction between the two countries have risen by over 50 percent in the past couple of months.

The memoranda of understanding signed today signify the two states’ determination to expand relations, the Iranian president said, adding that Tehran and Nur-Sultan can raise the value of annual trade exchanges to $3 billion in the first step.

He said Iran and Kazakhstan can promote cooperation in various fields, such as agriculture, industry, transportation, energy, as well as oil and gas industries.

“Apart from the bilateral relations, we are also resolved to expand the regional relations between the two countries and among regional states,” Raisi added, calling for closer interaction within the framework of the regional organizations, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Eurasian Economic Union.

“Cooperation with the neighbors in the Caspian Sea has priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president stated, highlighting the common views of Iran and Kazakhstan about regional and international issues, including about the developments in Afghanistan and the need for the formation of an inclusive government in that country.

“We share a view that the presence of outsiders in the region would not create security or solve any problem in the region,” Raisi said, stressing that regional problems should be dealt with by the regional countries alone.

The president of Kazakhstan arrived in Tehran for a one-day official visit on Sunday and co-chaired the joint meeting of high-ranking delegations with his Iranian counterpart.

The two presidents signed a joint statement in the meeting, at the conclusion of which ministers, provincial governors and authorities from the two sides signed nine cooperation documents and memoranda of understanding.