On August 19, 2025, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Kazakhstan, Ali Akbar Joukar. The parties discussed the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, economic partnership between the two countries, as well as prospects for further cooperation between the think tanks of Kazakhstan and Iran.
KazISS Director Zhandos Shaimardanov noted that Iran is a geographical and cultural-historical neighbor of Kazakhstan, and therefore its security and prosperity are of great concern to our country. He also emphasized the dynamic development of economic, cultural, humanitarian, and other areas of cooperation, as well as Kazakhstan’s interest in collaboration in the field of transport and logistics.
Mr. Ali Akbar Joukar underlined the importance of strengthening interaction between Iran and Kazakhstan in the expert-analytical sphere, sharing information about the activities of Iran’s leading think tanks. He also noted the growing opportunities for Kazakhstani scholars to visit Iran in order to study rare books and manuscripts.
Both sides expressed mutual interest in further advancing Kazakhstan-Iran relations at both bilateral and multilateral levels, including through the strengthening of interaction and the potential of the expert community of the two countries. In this regard, special attention was paid to the prospects of Iranian experts participating in the upcoming Astana Think Tank Forum, scheduled to take place in October this year.
