Iran and Kazakhstan have stressed the need to expand bilateral and regional cooperation in communications and information technology, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.

Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Sattar Hashemi, and Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiyev, made the remarks on the sidelines of the fourth day of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference held in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.

Hashemi condemned US and Israeli military attacks against Iran for their humanitarian consequences and damage to civilian infrastructure and facilities, stressing that attacks on vital infrastructure and public services disrupt citizens’ daily lives and the provision of essential services.

Iran’s ICT minister also called for respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international humanitarian law, urging the international community to take a responsible stance to prevent further attacks and protect civilians.

Hashemi further emphasized that the ITU should preserve its specialized, technical and non-political character and focus on its statutory mandate and professional agenda, calling on Kazakhstan to support Iran’s proposed documents and resolutions at the PP-26 conference.

He also emphasized Iran’s support for Kazakhstan’s candidacy for membership in the ITU Council and the Radio Regulations Board (RRB), saying that Iran would vote in its favor in the upcoming elections.

Hashemi further highlighted the KTI project, which aims to establish a joint fiber-optic infrastructure connecting Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, describing it as strategically important for regional connectivity.

The Iranian minister also called for accelerating the implementation of the project and proposed setting up a trilateral executive committee to examine its technical, economic and commercial aspects, including connection routes, ownership and operation models, investment costs and available capacity.

Hashemi further proposed expanding academic and research cooperation through joint training programs in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced communications technologies and smart government, as well as exchanges of professors, researchers and students and joint research projects.

He also introduced Iran’s Institute for Communications and Information Technology Research as a potential partner in these efforts.

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Elsewhere in his remarks, Iran’s ICT minister proposed facilitating cooperation between Iranian and Kazakh knowledge-based companies in developing software products and AI services, suggesting a joint forum, business meetings and exchanges between technology companies from the two countries.

Madiyev, for his part, welcomed the proposals, stressing the considerable potential for joint projects in digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.

He also called for continued expert-level consultations to examine the proposals, noting that closer engagement between technology companies, research centers and specialized institutions could help advance bilateral cooperation.

The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference is being held in Doha from November 9 to 27.

As the union’s highest decision-making and policy-setting body, the conference brings together representatives of member states every four years to determine its future strategies and priorities.