Kazakhstan and Iran are planning to establish a joint free trade zone, says Ayan Yerenov, chairman of Foreign Trade Business Chamber of Kazakhstan. “Negotiations are underway for creation of [a] free trade zone with Iran. We should understand there are several years of negotiations ahead before the agreement performance; we are negotiating signing of a temporary agreement with restricted coverage of preferences,” Yerenov was quoted as saying by KazTAG. He said the target of the temporary agreement is to provide stability and predictability of the trade regime and lower fares for a number of key commodities that Kazakhstan is ready to export to Iran. “It will also concern agricultural products,” he said. Yerenov called on potential suppliers of food products to Iran to take into account certification of their goods under halal standards.
