Upon arrival, President was welcomed by Kazakh Minister of Communications and Information Askar Zhumagaliyev and Iran's ambassador to Astana.



Kazakhstan's prime minister during short meeting with Iran president that was held in Astana airport’s pavilion said: “Undoubtedly, the presence of Iran in the SCO summit will promote the role and significance of this meeting, because today Iran has a special role in the region.



President Ahmadinejad is due to be officially welcomed by his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev later on Tuesday (today).



The two Presidents will hold private talks after that.



Addressing the SCO session and meeting with his counterparts on various issues of mutual interests are among President Ahmadinejad's plans prepared for the trip.



During his two-day visit to Kazakhstan, President is also planned to attend the trilateral meeting with participation of his Chinese and Russian counterparts.