Pakistan and Kazakhstan have reaffirmed their commitment to expand bilateral economic relations, increase trade, and explore new investment opportunities during a meeting in Almaty between Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh and Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Sirjan Zhomangarin. According to a release issued on Tuesday, Sheikh stressed the need to promote business to business cooperation, increase the engagement of the private sector, and improve banking channels so that trade and investment between the two countries can move more smoothly. He pointed to opportunities in e-commerce, warehousing, textiles, and mining, and noted that Kazakhstan’s affordable energy could attract Pakistani investment in the textile sector.
Sheikh also referred to the Memorandums of Understanding signed during the visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to Kazakhstan in February, and said they should be implemented at an early date so that the commitments made on paper can be turned into tangible economic benefits. Agreements of this kind often take time to move from signature to practice, and the Pakistani side made it clear that the focus now should be on delivery. Reliable banking channels are an especially important part of that effort, since payment and settlement problems have long been one of the practical obstacles for smaller traders who want to do business across the region, and e-commerce and warehousing projects in particular depend on dependable payment arrangements and efficient logistics.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said he would like to see the Prime Minister of Pakistan visit Kazakhstan and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to better bilateral relations. He emphasised the need to raise the volume of trade between the two nations and informed the meeting that a five year roadmap has been prepared to advance cooperation. He described Pakistan’s market of around 250 million people as offering significant opportunities for Kazakh businesses, while Pakistan could use Kazakhstan as a gateway to the wider Eurasian market, a view that places the two countries in a position of mutual benefit. Kazakhstan has been actively presenting its own economic and digital projects to international investors, including its planned smart city of Alatau City near Almaty, and an increase in contact with Pakistani companies could open space for cooperation in areas linked to technology, logistics, and digital trade.
The Deputy Prime Minister also underlined the need for direct air connectivity between Pakistan and Kazakhstan to support business, trade, and people to people exchanges, since travellers currently face longer journeys with connections through other cities. He added that the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan will visit Pakistan to attend the preparatory meeting for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which will give the two governments another opportunity to meet at a senior level. Both sides agreed that stronger connectivity, effective implementation of existing agreements, and greater involvement of the private sector are necessary to turn the potential of the relationship into concrete economic partnerships, and the next few months, with an early visit by the Kazakh Foreign Minister and work on a five year roadmap, will show whether the intentions expressed in Almaty are followed by practical steps.
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