Sanctions impede Iran- Kazakhstan trade development

Speaking to ILNA news agency, he said “Our health tourists travel to China or Uzbekistan and Iran is not their destination. Maybe if Iran had not been sanctioned, there would have been more trade and tourism exchanges between two countries.

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, and the ninth largest country in the world. Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically, generating 60% of the region's GDP, primarily through its oil and gas industry. Today it is seeking to attract foreign investors.

The Kazakh ambassador told that about 5,000 Iranians come to Kazakhstan annually, about half of whom are tourists. We are trying to issue visas to all Iranians who intend to travel to Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is expected to sign a visa facilitation agreement with Iran in the spring of 2020, based on which Iranian tourist groups will be granted entry visas without the need to invitation [letter from the host]. Moreover, 90-day visas will be issued for Iranian businessmen and traders.

Orazbay said “Mahan Airlines flies to Kazakhstan once a week and we plan to increase the number of flights,” Adding that the direct flights between the two countries are expected to be increased by 2020.

“We may change the air route and include Gorgan province or Kish Island but it will depend on Airlines which is chosen for Iran-Kazakhstan flights,” he added.

“The only waterways Kazakhstan has access to are China, Russia and Iran. Although Iran provides us with easier and closer access but we cannot use Iran's waterway to transit goods due to sanctions. The main obstacle is money transfer and bank transactions so we use the Chinese Blue Route,” he confirmed.

Asked about Kazakhstan's plans to expand its exports and imports, The Kazakh ambassador said “Our economy's dependence on oil. Raw materials and oil make up most of our annual exports, but we have to remove the economy from being single-product, so we are trying to diversify our products.”

He added that due to the security we have created for our investors, today Kazakhstan has become one of the most suitable countries for investing. And currently more than $ 300 billion has been invested in Kazakhstan, accounting for more than 70% of foreign investment in Central Asia.

Answering to question about impact of the Silk Road on the economic development of Asian countries, he said we do not currently have any programs to join to Silk Road. China's proposed program could link countries alongside the Silk Road routes together that it passes through Kazakhstan and Iran.

The Silk Road trade played a significant role in the development of the civilizations of China, Korea, Japan, the Indian subcontinent, Iran, Europe, the Horn of Africa and Arabia, opening long-distance political and economic relations between the civilizations.

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