Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Economy and Commerce Daniyar Amangeldiev, who is on a visit to Tehran, met with Iranian Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Ehsan Khandouzi in which they explored ways to expand bilateral trade and transport relations.
During the meeting with Khandouzi, the Kyrgyz minister underlined the need to develop economic and trade relations between the two countries and stressed the unique capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of freight transport, especially from Bandar Abbas to the Caspian Sea coastal nations, saying that Central Asian countries are eager to strengthen the North-South corridor.
Noting that Iran and Kyrgyzstan can cooperate within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Amangeldiev underlined the union's capacity to develop trade relations between the two countries.
Khandouzi for his part referred to the determination of the Iranian government for developing relations with neighboring countries as well as the countries in the region and emphasized the need to create the necessary facilities to promote and improve the activities of businessmen and traders of the two countries.
The Kyrgyz minister also had a meeting with Iran’s Minister of Road and Urban Development Rostam Qasemi in which the Iranian minister said that Kyrgyzstan can serve as Iran’s transit corridor to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization region.
Referring to the high capacity for transit cooperation between Iran and Kyrgyzstan, Qasemi said that there is the possibility of railway transit of commodities from the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to Kyrgyzstan.
He called for implementation of the already signed agreements between Iran and Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries to tap into the capacity.
Noting that road transit can also be put on the agenda of both countries, Qasemi also said that regular flights are operating between Iranian northeastern city of Mashhad and Kyrgyzstan’s capital city of Bishkek.
He called for the number of flights between the two countries to increase.