Islamabad:
Pakistan and Kazakhstan signed on Tuesday a “cooperation action plan” aimed at giving a new boost to their bilateral relations, since the two countries prepared for the visit of President Kazakh Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Islamabad at the end of this year.
The Action Plan, signed after the conversations at the delegation level between the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, and his counterpart Kazakhs, Murat Nurtleu, establishes a structured road map to expand the commitment in multiple domains, reads a statement issued here by the Office of Foreign Affairs.
Narder cooperation in politics, commerce and economy, defense and security, science and technology, culture, tourism, humanitarian assistance and consular facilitation is expected. It also institutionalizes periodic consultations between the two foreign ministries.
The officials described the plan as a “significant milestone” that reflects the political will of both leaders to raise relations with “a new level of dynamism, anchored in mutual trust, shared values and a vision with a vision of the future for regional peace and prosperity.”
Kazakhuste Foreign Minister, who also serves as Vice Prime Minister of his country, arrived in Islamabad on Monday on an official two -day visit. It was accompanied by Ministers of Transportation and Commerce, Vice Presidents of IT and Agriculture, as well as other senior officials.
During the conversations at the delegation level, the two parties reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with a particular approach in improving commercial and investment flows, expanding agricultural cooperation and advancing in collaboration in information technology, education, culture and tourism.
The strengthening of regional connectivity through logistics and transport links also contain prominently in discussions, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two delegations also exchanged views on multilateral cooperation and regional developments.
At the conclusion of the formal conversations, the two vice president Prime Ministers instructed their respective teams that accelerate the negotiations on agreements and memorandes of understanding (MOU) that is expected to end in time for the next visit of the president of Kazakhstan.
The visit occurs as a prelude to President Tokayev’s trip to Pakistan in November, the first for a Kazakh head of state in more than two decades. The last visit of this type took place in 2003, when the then president Nursultan Nazarbayev arrived here.
The commitments of the Kazajas delegation in Islamabad went beyond the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Nurtleu called Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He also held separate meetings with the Ministers of Communications, Railways and Commerce of Pakistan.
According to an official delivery, Shehbaz told Kazakhish Foreign Minister that Pakistan was anxious to improve bilateral trade, investment, people exchanges to people and connectivity through air, railroad and road with Kazakhstan. Shehbaz also transmitted his warm wishes for President Tokayev.
The prime minister indicated that Pakistan was giving great importance to the visit of the president of Kazakhus and offered to send a delegation to Astana to finish the various Mou and the agreements under consideration.
Nurtleu informed the prime minister about his detailed discussions with the Vice Prime Minister to give earlier in the day. He stressed that the next visit of President Tokayev to Islamabad would be historical and successful, and would open a new and exciting chapter in the ties of Pakistan-Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, the Kazakh delegation also participated in the meetings of the joint work groups on information technology (IT) and agriculture. The visiting team toured the National Park of Aerospace Science and Technology (Nastp) to explore roads of cooperation in the IT sector.
The Vice Prime Minister Nurtleu also held a business meeting with the main Pakistani conglomerates, pointing out Astana’s interest in taking advantage of opportunities in the Pakistan market and offering reciprocal access to Central Asia.
The visit and signing of the Action Plan mark a renewed impulse of both countries to deepen ties at a time when Pakistan seeks to expand his footprint in Central Asia under his “Central Vision of Asia” policy. For Kazakhstan, the scope offers the opportunity to develop a stronger connectivity to the south of Asia and beyond.
(With application entry)
