On May 15, 2026, a meeting was held at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan between KazISS Director Zhandos Shaimardanov and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Kazakhstan, Ali Akbar Joukar.
During the discussion, the Iranian Ambassador briefed the participants on the situation in the Middle East and developments surrounding Iran, emphasizing that diplomacy and commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflicts remain Tehran’s key foreign policy priorities.
Highlighting the strategic nature of Iran-Kazakhstan relations, which are of great importance for further expanding regional cooperation between the two countries across various fields, Ali Akbar Joukar reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to maintain the high level of trust established during the official visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Astana in December 2025.
The Iranian side also expressed interest in developing academic exchanges and research cooperation with Kazakhstan.
In turn, Zhandos Shaimardanov noted that Iran remains one of Kazakhstan’s key and longstanding partners in the Middle East and broader regional context. In this regard, Kazakhstan views diplomatic dialogue with Iran as an important element of its balanced foreign policy and continues to closely monitor with deep concern the ongoing tensions in the Middle East and around Iran.
In conclusion, the parties expressed confidence that the meeting would help synchronize the positions of the expert communities of Iran and Kazakhstan in order to strengthen regional stability and peace.
