Thursday, July 12, 2012 -
Iran expects to invest $10 billion in Kyrgyzstan, according to talks held between Kyrgyzstan’s finance minister and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on Tuesday.
No details were made available as to the industries or sectors would see the influx of financing.
Iran is attempting to get closer to Central Asian states as it scrambles for allies and trading partners, following the repeated trade embargoes placed on the country as a response to its controversial nuclear program. Though Iran has closer ties with Tajikistan – with which it shares ethnic and linguistic roots – it is looking to bolster its relations with other states in the area as well.
Discussions between Ahmadinejad and Kyrgyz Finance Minister Akhylbek Japarov also focused on opening a flight between Tehran and the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan largely exports metals, grains, and meat to Iran, and imports clothing, food, and building materials, the Pakistan-based Business Insider reported on Thursday.