ISLAMABAD, November 22 (INP-WealthPK): Transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Kazakhstan will be signed very soon to increase the volume of trade between the two brotherly countries.
The information was shared by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin while speaking at the event “Pakistan in the World” arranged by the Centre of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR), in Islamabad.
The ambassador said that connectivity through rails, roads and sea is very important if trade is to be increased and opportunities are to be explored. He added that Pakistan and Kazakhstan enjoy longstanding bilateral relations and these relations need to be strengthened through increased cooperation.
He told the audience that Kazakh national airline SCAT will start direct flight operations to Karachi and Islamabad from January, 2023. He said that direct flights will add another level of cooperation between the two countries and mutual dependency will bring the two countries ever closer.
The Ambassador said that the “President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev will very soon visit Pakistan. The Minister of Commerce and Industry of Kazakhstan will also visit Pakistan in December to discuss the mutual trade and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the two brotherly countries.”
He continued by saying that, “the Joint Working Group is an excellent forum to discuss the relations of the two countries. It will help in improving trade, tourism and mutual cultural exchanges. We believe in connectivity, and the integration of South and Central Asia will bring prosperity for the whole region.”
Highlighting the importance of exchanges on business-delegations level, he said that Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry will send their representatives to Kazakhstan next month. “They will meet their peers and explore opportunities with their Kazakh counterparts.”
He added, “our current trade volume of USD 197 million can reach up to USD 1 billion. We can help each other in information technology, pharmaceuticals, textiles and agriculture. Our youth bulges are a vital resource that needs to be harnessed. We can learn from the other’s experiences.”
“Being the largest economy in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has huge potential to help Pakistan develop its industry. We can even collaborate in sports since both nations love outdoor excursions and physical effort,” he concluded.
