President Asif Ali Zardari confers Nishan-e-Pakistan to his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a special inauguration ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looking on. Photo: APP
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Wednesday agreed to elevate their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, marking a major diplomatic milestone during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Pakistan after 23 years.
The agreement was formalized through a joint declaration signed in Islamabad during President Tokayev’s two-day visit (February 3-4) at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The leaders described the visit as historic, opening a new chapter of cooperation rooted in long-standing cultural and fraternal ties.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference, noting that Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan in 1991. They expressed satisfaction over the steady growth of bilateral relations since the 1992 Declaration on the Principles of Relations.
Under the strategic partnership, Pakistan and Kazakhstan agreed to deepen cooperation in eight priority areas: political dialogue, security and defense, trade and investment, transport and logistics, education and information technology, culture and tourism, climate change and environmental coordination, and collaboration in regional and international forums.
Commerce and connectivity
The two countries pledged to significantly improve trade, investment and regional connectivity, aiming for a bilateral trade volume of $1 billion over the next year. They also agreed to promote a multi-country transport corridor connecting Central and South Asia.
“We agreed on the Belarus-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan transport corridor to strengthen regional connectivity,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at a joint press conference with President Tokayev.
The prime minister encouraged business communities from both sides to invest in joint ventures, noting that despite strong political relations, the current trade volume of $250 million last year does not reflect the full potential of the partnership. “Through joint efforts, both sides can achieve significant progress,” he added.
Memoranda and agreements
The leaders witnessed the exchange of 37 memoranda of understanding in sectors such as finance, trade, industry, transport, energy, health, culture, security, education, media, science, technology, climate change and agriculture. President Tokayev highlighted transportation and logistics as priority areas, emphasizing projects to increase trade flows and improve connectivity, including Pakistan’s ports of Karachi and Gwadar as potential gateways for Central Asian trade.
The two sides also agreed to consider resuming direct air links to promote business, tourism and people-to-people contacts.
Working committee
Pakistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to establish a working committee comprising senior ministers and officials to develop a road map to develop bilateral trade and economic cooperation over the next five years. The two leaders expressed confidence that the results of the visit, including the signing of the Joint Declaration and 37 MoUs, would open new avenues of cooperation.
Commemorative plaques and infrastructure
During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Tokayev unveiled plaques for mutual sports and education centers. The prime minister also proposed Pakistan’s deep-water ports of Gwadar and Karachi as trade outlets for Central Asian states, emphasizing plans to expand rail and road links via Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. “This project will be a game changer, transforming economic integration not only between our two countries but across the region,” he said at the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum.
