President Dr Arif Alvi has said that increasing trade and investment through Karachi and Gwadar ports with Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries is a key component of Pakistan's Vision Central Asia policy. He was speaking with Koshanov Yerlan Zhakanovich, Chairman of the Mazhilis (Lower House) of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who led a delegation to the President's House.

The president stated that considering the enormous potential between the two nations, the current level of trade, which was $219.12 million in 2021–22, needed to be significantly boosted by creating new and enhancing existing links through road, rail, and maritime networks. There is a lot of opportunity to broaden bilateral trade connections and form joint ventures in agriculture, IT, textiles, energy, logistics, housing, and construction, he added.

President Alvi stated that significant corporate trade, investment, and economic links must be transformed into the fraternal, brotherly relationships that Pakistan and Kazakhstan share, which are founded in a shared heritage and social, cultural, and religious values. The Vision Central Asia policy, according to him, placed a strong emphasis on five areas: political and diplomatic, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defence, and people-to-people contacts.

The president expressed the hope that the present Afghan administration would be successful in building lasting peace and hoped that with the creation of total peace in Afghanistan, trade and investment between Kazakhstan and Pakistan would gain much-needed momentum.

He hoped that the Inter-Governmental Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological, and Cultural Cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, which is scheduled to meet in Islamabad on December 22, 2022, would make concrete decisions to strengthen and further develop the two countries' kinship and fraternal ties.

He highlighted that because the world is changing, Pakistan and Kazakhstan should establish strong ties to handle new situations with respect and dignity and continue contributing to the settlement of regional and global problems. The president expressed the hope that the Chairman's visit will strengthen and deepen the relationship between the two friendly countries.

President Alvi was briefed by the Chairman of the Mazhilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the purposes and goals of the Kazakhstani parliamentary delegation's visit to Pakistan. He also mentioned that during their stay, the delegation would meet the Senate chairman, the National Assembly speaker, and other parliamentarians to discuss how to further strengthen ties between the two legislatures and significantly expand people-to-people contacts.

He said the delegation would explore the possibility of joint ventures in a variety of sectors of shared interest, identify opportunities and areas to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations, and identify common ground to create meaningful partnerships in the cultural and tourism sectors. It would also discuss matters and issues of bilateral, regional, and global significance.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk