TEHRAN (Iran News) –  First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber in a meeting with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister said that the two countries of Iran and Kazakhstan have the potential to become the region’s hub for food security and transportation.

Mokhber on Sunday held a meeting with the visiting Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Bakhyt Sultanov.

Emphasizing the need for removing the existing obstacles and barriers to deepening cooperation between the two countries of Iran and Kazakhstan, Mokhber stated, “Mutual cooperation and cooperation between the private sector and businesspersons of Iran and Kazakhstan can play a key role in increasing the volume of trade and economic relations.”

Iran’s Vice President stressed the need for developing Iran-Kazakhstan’s relations in the fields of banking, transportation, and overseas cultivation, saying that the two countries have the potential to become regional hubs in terms of food security and transportation.

“The expansion of customs cooperation and the increase in exports and imports between the two countries can be a good starting point to achieve this goal and long-term relations,” he added.

He also called on opening trade fairs and introducing Iranian and Kazakh achievements and products with the aim of expanding cooperation between the private sector and businesspersons of the two countries.

Bakhyt Sultanov, for his part, stated, “The expansion of political and economic relations, as well as the significant increase in trade volume in the first quarter of this year between the governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kazakhstan, show that the goals and strategies of the two countries overlap.”

“We hope that during the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the good decisions made in the past few months will be implemented in the form of joint cooperation agreements,” he added.

The Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister also expressed his country’s readiness to hold exhibitions as well as trade and economic meetings between economic activists of the two countries.

Referring to the importance of expanding Iran-Kazakhstan transportation cooperation, he stated that good negotiations have taken place on the development of rail, road and air cooperation, adding that achieving these goals could make Iran and Kazakhstan two important regional actors.

Bakhyt Sultanov, heading a delegation, arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day visit.

He is set to hold several meetings with high-ranking Iranian officials to discuss a variety of issues of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Iran.