LAHORE: The Kazakh Ambassador to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin said that Kazakhstan and Pakistan have an ideal relationship that could lead to work in new areas, while there is also a strong political dialogue between the both countries, which should be reflected in bilateral trade and trade relations.
During his first visit to Lahore after his deployment to Pakistan, the Kazakh ambassador also invited media representatives here on Thursday and praised the hospitality of the people of Pakistan, especially Lahore.
“We see Pakistan as a regional power and promoting cooperation between both countries will benefit the entire Central Asian region. Due to large population, Pakistan is both a promising market and an attraction for foreign investors. Kazakh investors are also considering investing in Pakistan,” he said.
The Ambassador said that for better trade relations between both countries, he had also met representatives of Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry and All Pakistan Textile Mills Association.
“Pakistan and Kazakhstan have had exemplary diplomatic relations that could extend to new areas of cooperation. There is a strong political dialogue between the two countries, which should be reflected in bilateral trade. We need to focus on our transport and logistics issues as well as economic cooperation. The state agencies of the both countries should work together to address the issues and challenges facing our bilateral economic cooperation,” he added.
Speaking about the situation in Afghanistan, Kistafin said that Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world and understands the importance of regional ties.
“Afghanistan could be the most lucrative country if trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan increases. If there is peace and stability in [Afghanistan], it could serve as a regional transit hub between Central and South Asia. Kazakhstan’s special envoy recently visited Kabul and held talks with the current Taliban government. We discussed resuming our trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan for the mutual benefit of both countries. If Afghanistan does not stabilize, it will have wider regional implications,” he warned.
Speaking about the trade relation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, the envoy informed that bilateral trade last year was $45 million, and co-operation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan’s customs services was needed to remove barriers to trade.
