TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari started an official visit to Kazakhstan for talks with the Central Asian country’s military officials. Heading a high-ranking delegation, Sayyari arrived in Astana on Sunday night at the invitation of his Kazakh counterpart, General Zhandarbek Zhanzakov.

Iranian Navy and Marine exercises at Nowshahr, October 6, 2009
(Credit: uskowioniran.com)

In addition to meetings with Zhanzakov, the Iranian commander will also hold talks with Kazakhstan’s Defence Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov during his trip.

Rear Admiral Sayyari is also planned to give a speech to Kazakhstan’s National Defence University, visit shipbuilding plants in the city of Uralsk and pay a visit to the city of Aktau, a seaport on the Caspian Sea.

Back in October 2013, General Zhanzakov paid an official visit to Tehran to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation. He also visited the key naval academy of Iranian Army’s Navy, University for Naval Sciences in Northern city of Nowshahr.

Iran has used his navy to increase its territorial claims in the Caspian Sea. Iran has a standing, internationally recognized claim to 12% of the Caspian Sea; Iran claims that it is actually due 20% of the Caspian Sea. In 2012, Iran launched the destroyer Jamaran-2 in the Caspian Sea, and also conducted a maritime minelaying and minesweeping exercise. This ship and the exercises are clearly designed to increase Iranian territorial claims to the mineral-rich Caspian Sea and the lucrative caviar fisheries there.