Iran, Kazakhstan eye stepped-up bilateral relations

By Raimbekova

ASTANA

Iran hopes to step up cooperation with Kazakhstan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday in Astana.

"We intend to take our cooperation to a new level in all areas," Rouhani said at a joint press conference held in Kazakhstan’s capital with his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Rouhani also thanked Nazarbayev for his country’s support for Iran in the international arena.

"We are hopeful that some of the barriers hindering the development of our bilateral relations will be removed," said Rouhani.

Nazarbayev, for his part, described Iran as an "important" partner in the Caspian region.

Bilateral visits, he went on to assert, serve to foster of the two countries’ relations.

Following his visit to Kazakhstan, Rouhani is next expected to visit neighboring Kyrgyzstan.