According to the public relations office of the National Development Fund, Ashkat Orazbai engaged in discussions and talks with Mehdi Ghazanfari regarding the ways to promote cooperation between the National Development Fund and Kazakhstan.

At the beginning of the session, Ghazanfari highlighted the successful track record of cooperation between Iran and Kazakhstan and stated that the National Development Fund can assist in collaborations in two ways. First, it can provide the necessary financing for private sector projects, and secondly, the fund can directly invest in projects.

He expressed that considering the existence of a similar fund in Kazakhstan, they can expand the methods of collaboration, and a third type of relationship, such as a "joint fund," can be established.

The CEO of the National Development Fund mentioned that initial contacts have already been made between the National Development Fund of Iran and the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Kazakhstan. He emphasized that the Kazakhstani ambassador should involve their Sovereign Wealth Fund in the current negotiations.

Ghazanfari elaborated on the potential areas of cooperation between the two countries, stating that they could collaborate in the field of agriculture due to Kazakhstan's vast lands and abundant water resources. Additionally, Kazakhstan possesses various rare elements and minerals, making mining another potential area of cooperation. He further highlighted that the field of information technology and artificial intelligence could be the next area for mutual collaboration, given the developments in this sector in Kazakhstan.

"Full Assurance of Potential Business Risks in Kazakhstan by the National Development Fund"

Mr. Ghazanfari, referring to the numerous energy projects in Iran, stated that undoubtedly the National Wealth Fund of Kazakhstan can make good investments in these projects. As the largest sovereign wealth fund in Iran, the National Development Fund is capable of guaranteeing investments in various economic and political dimensions and fully securing their business risks.

Hossein Ayoozloo, a member of the board and deputy of foreign investments at the National Development Fund, added that the fund has made good progress in the past year. One example of this is the establishment of preliminary stages for the Ak-Baital Fund, involving seven member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which includes Kazakhstan. He expressed his pleasure at the prospect of cooperation in this field.

He further mentioned that the National Development Fund has recently obtained instructions for foreign investments. In this regard, several foreign countries have been identified as investment targets. According to the Investment Promotion and Protection Scheme (IPS) of the National Development Fund, the focus is currently on neighboring countries and the establishment of a bilateral joint fund, with serious discussions initiated with Russia and several African countries.

Regarding the preliminary negotiations between the National Development Fund and the National Wealth Fund of Kazakhstan, Mr. Ayoozloo said that during a recent meeting of the Joint Economic Commission between Iran and Kazakhstan, they had a meeting with the officials of the Kazakhstani fund. The main objective is to achieve a mutual understanding between the two parties.

In response, Ambassador Arazebay of Kazakhstan in Iran welcomed the programs of the National Development Fund for developing relations in Kazakhstan. He added that it is evident that all proposed projects and programs should be first examined by qualified individuals and technical teams in Kazakhstan. However, generally speaking, all proposals are executable and feasible.

He assured that all efforts will be made to transfer the requests of the National Development Fund to relevant authorities in Kazakhstan, especially the National Wealth Fund. He emphasized that the official proposal from the Iranian side and the National Development Fund's interest in economic cooperation with Kazakhstan are duly noted, and he suggested that a delegation from Kazakhstan should visit Iran for negotiations in the near future.

The Kazakhstani ambassador stated that Kazakhstan has the necessary capabilities in all areas, including agriculture, energy, and information technology, as mentioned by the Chairman of the National Development Fund, and is ready to cooperate.