Pakistan, Kazakhstan sign 30-plus MoUs as Shehbaz seeks $1bn trade target

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called for raising trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan to $1 billion within a year as the two countries signed more than 30 memoranda of understanding and agreements across multiple sectors.

Addressing a joint press conference after the signing ceremony, Shehbaz said the current level of trade did not reflect the strength of bilateral ties or the economic potential of the two countries.

“Unfortunately, our trade volume is a meagre $250 million, which does not reflect the strength of our friendship and the potential of both countries. Let us commit to raising our trade volume to $1 billion within the next one year,” he said.

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described Pakistan as a “reliable and important partner in South Asia and beyond.”

“Our people are united by centuries-old ties rooted in the legacy of the great Silk Road, as well as by deep cultural and spiritual affinity,” Tokayev said.

“Our nations share common values, traditions and joint aspirations for the future,” he added.

Tokayev said the two sides had “signed a historical document – a joint declaration – on establishing a strategic partnership between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.”

“By elevating our relations to a new level, we open up immense opportunities to engage across the full spectrum of bilateral and multilateral agendas,” he said.

Earlier, President Tokayev was accorded a warm reception and a guard of honour on his arrival at the Prime Minister’s House, where he held a one-on-one meeting with Shehbaz followed by delegation-level talks.

The Kazakh president, accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior cabinet ministers and officials, is on his first two-day state visit to Pakistan at the invitation of the prime minister.

The national anthems of Pakistan and Kazakhstan were played as the two leaders stood on the saluting dais. A contingent of the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force presented the guard of honour, which Tokayev reviewed. The two leaders later introduced members of their respective delegations.

Following the talks, a signing ceremony was held for memoranda of understanding and agreements aimed at expanding cooperation. Documents were exchanged covering areas including UN peacekeeping cooperation, mining and petroleum, maritime affairs, prisoner exchange, transit trade, customs cooperation and railways.

The two sides also agreed to cooperate in climate change, virtual assets, protection and veterinary services, as well as artificial intelligence and digital development. Officials said the agreements would support future technical cooperation and digital partnership.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal attended the ceremony.

Tokayev arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday and was received at Nur Khan Airbase by Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari. A six-member squadron of Pakistan Air Force fighter jets paid an aerial salute as his aircraft entered Pakistani airspace.

Later, Tokayev planted a commemorative sapling on the lawn of the Prime Minister’s House. Roads along his motorcade route in Islamabad were decorated with Pakistani and Kazakh flags and large portraits of the visiting president.

During the visit, Tokayev is also expected to meet President Zardari and address the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum. The talks are expected to cover trade, logistics, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts and cooperation at regional and international forums.

Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on President Tokayev. According to a Foreign Office statement, Dar conveyed greetings from Pakistan’s leadership and reaffirmed the shared commitment to expand cooperation across political, economic and people-to-people domains, and to work together for peace, stability and development in the region.