Iran-Kazakhstan relations are friendly:Iranian FM

TEHRAN,April 27(MNA) – The Iranian foreign minister described the relations between Iran and Kazakhstan as “friendly” and called for strengthening the ties. During a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Erlan Idrisov on the sidelines of the “Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference” in Almaty on Friday, Ali Akbar Salehi expressed hope that economic relations between the two countries would expand. Idrisov, for his part, called for bolstering relations in transportation, communication, and parliamentary areas. Salehi also held a separate meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and conveyed the warm greetings of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to him. The third “Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference”, comprising of about 40 states and regional and international organizations, is being held in Alamty to discuss challenges facing Afghanistan including terrorism as well as the production, trafficking, and consumption of illicit drugs. ‘Tsunami in drugs’ During his speech at the conference, Salehi noted, “There is evidence that the total tracts of land under opium cultivation in Afghanistan will triple next year and therefore we will be faced with a tsunami in drugs and drug trafficking that will affect Afghanistan’s neighbors as well as the whole region and the world.” He emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran firmly believes that the Afghan government and regional states should take a “responsible attitude” to address the issue.