Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after casting vote in the presidential election at a polling station in Tehran May 19, 2017. Iran held the presidential election on Friday. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)
TEHRAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday slammed the U.S.-led West for its expansionist policies that undermine national independence and sovereignty, according to Khamenei's official website.
"The Americans and westerners are constantly seeking to expand their sphere of influence in various regions, including East and West Asia, and to undermine the independence and sovereignty of nations," Khamenei said in a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the capital Tehran.
The main problem with Ukraine is that "the West is trying to expand NATO as they do not hesitate to expand their influence wherever they can," he noted.
An Iranian flag is pictured at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Jan. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
The Iranian top leader urged coordination between Iran and Kazakhstan on political and economic issues.
For his part, Tokayev said the bilateral documents signed "could pave the way for further expansion of relations between the two countries."
Earlier in the day, the Kazakh president arrived in Tehran for a two-day visit at the invitation of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. ■
