Kazakhstan’s President, H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, arrived in Islamabad for a high-level diplomatic visit focused on strengthening trade, investment, and regional connectivity between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received President Tokayev at the Prime Minister’s House, where the visiting dignitary was honoured with a guard of honour.
During a joint press conference, Pakistan and Kazakhstan signed 37 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) spanning key sectors such as petroleum, mining, maritime affairs, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and infrastructure development, aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment opportunities.
Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed President Tokayev and highlighted that it marked the first visit by a Kazakh president to Pakistan in 23 years. He termed the discussions highly constructive and stressed the importance of transforming the signed MoUs into practical agreements through swift implementation. He expressed confidence that effective execution of these understandings would significantly enhance economic, trade, and cultural cooperation between the two nations.
Separately, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shaqqaliev to discuss expanding economic cooperation, connectivity, and investment. Both sides emphasised the importance of improving rail, road, and multimodal transport links to strengthen trade and foster long-term regional economic engagement.
The Kazakh delegation highlighted the strategic value of infrastructure projects aimed at connecting Central Asia with South Asia, China, Europe, and other global markets, including through Pakistani ports. Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said enhanced transit routes would benefit not only Pakistan and Kazakhstan but also broader regional and global trade.
Discussions also covered priority sectors such as agriculture, food security, pharmaceuticals, textiles, sports goods, leather, mining and minerals, energy, and infrastructure development. Both sides agreed to promote structured business-to-business (B2B) engagement, including trade missions, exhibitions, and the exchange of delegations, while working to finalise a framework document outlining trade targets and sectoral priorities.
The visit provides an “important and timely opportunity” for Islamabad and Astana to review bilateral relations comprehensively, according to the Foreign Office. Discussions are expected to cover trade, logistics, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts, and cooperation at regional and international forums.
The two countries share historically friendly relations, with Kazakhstan being Pakistan’s largest export destination in Central Asia. President Tokayev is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including senior cabinet ministers and officials, and streets in Islamabad were reportedly adorned with Kazakhstan’s national flag in his honour.
Source: Dunya News
