Kazakh Vice Minister of Transport and Communications Zhenis Kassymbek has met with Deputy Chief of Iran’s Mission in Kazakhstan Mohammad Ali Iskandari; Kazinform refers to the Ministry’s press service. The parties discussed the significance of implementation of the trilateral project on construction of a railway from Iran to Kazakhstan via Turkmenistan. Besides, they noted that opening direct air communication between the two states would enable to increase commodity turnover by USD 10 billion.

 

Z. Kassymbek informed that the development of the Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railway project would be finished in the middle of 2009. He also noted that Turkmenistan had already constructed 100 kilometers of the railroad on its territory. Iranian diplomat reported of some problems on grain export to Iran. The Kazakh side said that on one of the export routes via railway station Serakhs (on the Iranian-Turkmen border) grain carriers were not returned in Kazakhstan in time. Thus the export of grain is limited there. However, in case the Iranian side guarantees period of carriers return, Kazakhstan is ready to increase grain export through the Turkmen border, as Iran is a priority direction for Kazakhstan.