Mangystau region invites Iranian investors to cooperate

On June 12, Astana hosted the twentieth meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Shakkaliyev, Akim of Mangistau region Nurdaulet Kilybai and Minister of Agriculture of the Islamic Republic of Iran Gholamreza Nuri Gezelje.

The Iranian delegation includes more than a hundred businessmen and investors, 35 heads of government agencies and 4 members of the Iranian Parliament. The Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan highly appreciated the potential of the Mangystau region, bordering Iran on the Caspian Sea, to create joint ventures in various industries. Currently, 77 enterprises with the participation of Iranian capital in various sectors of the economy are registered in Mangystau region. In the 12 months of 2024, the total cargo turnover between Aktau and Iran seaports amounted to 349 thousand tons.

The head of the region, Nurdaulet Kilybai, said that work is underway to diversify the region's economy, inviting all companies willing to "work" and "invest" in Mangystau.

- Since ancient times, the oil and gas industry has been the main source of the economy. But right now, our main goal is to diversify the economy. Currently, 85 percent of the food consumed is imported. This indicates the need to develop agriculture. That is why we invite the representatives of the agricultural business gathered at this meeting to Mangystau. We are ready to provide all possible support and create conditions within the legislative framework. In addition, Mangystau has a very high potential in the fields of logistics, production, tourism, especially in the agricultural sector," said Nurdaulet Kilybai.

Arman Shakkaliyev noted the instructions of the leaders of Kazakhstan and Iran to increase the volume of mutual trade between our countries to 3 billion US dollars and expressed readiness to offer high-quality products from agriculture, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, building materials production and other industries.

Kazakhstan attaches great importance to increasing mutual supplies of agricultural products, especially cereals and oilseeds. By the end of 2024, the trade turnover of agricultural products between Kazakhstan and Iran amounted to 220 million US dollars. Nevertheless, the parties confirmed the possibility of increasing the turnover of agricultural products between the two countries to 1 billion US dollars.

- We know that there is a high demand for Kazakhstani agricultural and mining products in the countries of the Persian Gulf, the Arab world and Africa. Therefore, we can become a bridge for Kazakhstani goods to enter these markets. We are also interested in developing the assembly of agricultural machinery in Kazakhstan. This meeting of the commission is of particular importance to us," said Iranian Minister of Agriculture Gholamreza Nuri Gezelje.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mangystau-uvp/press/news/details/1016498?lang=kk