ISLAMABAD:
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from September 8 to 9, the Foreign Office said on Sunday.
The visit comes as a precursor to the upcoming state visit of the Kazakh president to Pakistan in November 2025, which is expected to further deepen bilateral ties.
According to the FO, Mr Nurtleu will be accompanied by a high-level 13-member delegation, including the minister of transport of Kazakhstan.
Meetings of the joint working groups on agriculture and information technology will also be held on the sidelines of the trip.
During his stay in Islamabad, the Kazakh deputy premier and foreign minister will hold a one-on-one meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Senator Ishaq Dar, followed by delegation-level talks.
He is also scheduled to call on the president and prime minister of Pakistan.
The discussions will focus on preparations for the November presidential visit and cover the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation, with emphasis on trade and investment, agriculture, education, cultural and tourism exchanges, regional connectivity, logistics and collaboration at multilateral fora.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan enjoy longstanding relations rooted in history, culture, and religion, with both countries part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Islamabad sees Central Asia as a crucial partner for its vision of enhanced regional connectivity, particularly under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which could provide landlocked Kazakhstan access to ports in the Arabian Sea.
In recent years, both sides have been working to boost trade and people-to-people exchanges. Current trade volumes remain modest, but officials believe there is significant untapped potential, particularly in agriculture, energy and transit connectivity.
The involvement of Kazakhstan’s transport minister in the delegation indicates a focus on advancing logistics and connectivity initiatives.
The FO expressed confidence that the visit would “further cement the longstanding Pakistan-Kazakhstan ties and contribute to deepening bilateral engagements in diverse fields, for the benefit of the people of the two countries”.
