Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said Iran and Kazakhstan enjoy "good relations" despite sanctions, emphasizing that the Central Asian country attaches great importance to its "friendly" ties with Iran.
He made the remarks in a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Astana on Monday, IRNA reported. Kazakhstan supports Iran's "legitimate rights" to enjoy nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
He also stated Zarif's trip to Kazakhstan provides a good opportunity to boost cooperation.
He added that the two countries can remove obstacles in the way of expanding ties through cooperation and exchange of views. He pointed to the fact that Iran attaches importance to unity among Muslims and said the issue is also important to Kazakhstan.
In addition, the Kazakh president welcomed President Hassan Rouhani's invitation for him to visit Iran. Elsewhere, Nazarbayev described "diplomatic means and dialogue" as best ways to resolve crises in the Mideast region, especially in Syria and Yemen.
The foreign minister stated Tehran is ready to cooperate with Kazakhstan to address common concerns and threats, particularly extremism and terrorism.
Zarif praised Kazakhstan's support for Iran's nuclear rights and the talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) on a final deal to resolve the long-running dispute over Tehran's nuclear work.
He went on to say that Kazakhstan has always stood by Iran as a "friendly country". He also expressed his views on the latest developments in nuclear talks and regional developments. After the two-day visit, Zarif left Kazakhstan for Spain on Monday.
