Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Wednesday signed 36 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in various sectors, including petroleum, mining, and maritime affairs with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressing the need to increase bilateral trade volume between the two countries to one billion dollars.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the meetings held since morning had been extremely useful and productive.
He expressed hope that President Tokayev would ensure these MOUs are converted into formal agreements and that implementation begins as soon as possible.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan considers Kazakhstan a strategic and highly valuable partner in Central Asia. He assured that Pakistan would work closely with Kazakhstan to ensure swift implementation of the signed MOUs to strengthen ties in trade, economy, and culture.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that the current trade volume between the two countries stands at $250 million. He stressed that joint efforts are required to raise this figure to one billion dollars within the next year.
He said that both countries would encourage their business communities to move forward and invest in joint ventures.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the two sides have agreed on a transport corridor comprising Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to promote regional connectivity.
He said that Pakistan has offered Kazakhstan full access to its transit infrastructure and port facilities. He added that cooperation in the energy sector would be equally beneficial for both countries.
