Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday that foreign powers' interference in the West Asian region only adds to the existing problems, official news agency IRNA reported.

Raisi made the remarks upon returning from the sixth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan.

He said foreign interference fails to resolve regional problems, noting the CICA as an important mechanism for greater convergence, cooperation and security in the continent.

Turning to the expansion of bilateral relations with Kazakhstan, the Iranian president said the June trip by Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Iran as well as the two sides' participation in regional meetings have helped strengthen their cooperation.

Raisi noted that during his visit to Astana, the two sides set an annual trade target of $3 billion and discussed possible energy exchanges and oil swaps.