Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s trip to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan this week is part of a wider Iranian outreach to Central Asia countries.
Five countries historically make up Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. They were once part of the Soviet Union, and since the 1990s, they have faced various attempts by regional countries to do outreach.
For instance, some of them have seen increased interest by Turkey to form ties with Turkish-speaking countries.
They also have ties with China and Russia. During the US involvement in Afghanistan, some of them benefited from US interest.
However, since the US withdrawal, they have felt a power vacuum. In early November, Kazakhstan announced it would join the Abraham Accords, and Israel has positive ties with a number of countries in Central Asia.
But Iran has also been stepping into the vacuum, and in 2022, Tehran opened a drone factory in Tajikistan.
Iranian state media said that Pezeshkian will also attend a conference in Turkmenistan, which is called the “International Year of Peace and Trust.” There, he is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with a number of leaders from other participating countries, IRNA said.
Iranian outreach efforts seek to expand diplomatic relationships in the region
Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei, chief of staff to the president, discussed details of the trip, according to IRNA, saying Pezeshkian’s “first stop will be Kazakhstan for an official bilateral visit [and...] several cooperation agreements focused on expanding trade between the two countries are set to be signed during this trip.”
The report noted that he added “that a delegation of ministers will accompany President Pezeshkian, engaging in follow-up meetings and negotiations in key areas including transportation, commerce, and economic cooperation. Haji-Mirzaei also noted that a large delegation from Iran’s Chamber of Commerce has already traveled to Kazakhstan ahead of the visit.”
Iran wants to discuss partnerships in several fields in Kazakhstan. “A joint meeting with Iranian and Kazakh merchants, attended by the president, is also scheduled, he added.”
In Turkmenistan, it appears that the Iranian leader will “deliver an official address at the event and hold bilateral meetings with a number of presidents and prime ministers. Further details of the meetings will be released afterward.”
The report comes amidst Iranian outreach to Belarus, Armenia, and Russia. For instance, Iranian state media also revealed that “Iranian and Russian parliamentarians have discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing that such collaboration would help promote peace in the region and beyond amid unilateral policies pursued by Western governments.”
In addition, Khalil Shirgholami, the new ambassador of Iran to Armenia, met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday before leaving for his mission. Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref also says Iran has “no limitations” on developing relations with Belarus.