ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi has said that boosting trade activities with Kazakhstan and other Central Asian Republics (CARs) through Karachi and Gwadar was a crucial element of Pakistan’s ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy.
The president said that while talking to the delegation of Kazakhstan, led by the Chairman of the Mazhilis (Lower House) of the Parliament of the Republic, Koshanov Yerlan Zhakanovich, here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.
Alvi further added that there is a great potential for expanding bilateral trade ties and entering into joint ventures in the fields of agriculture, IT, textile, energy, logistics, and construction with Kazakhistan adding that both countries relish fraternal brotherly relations rooted in a mutual heritage and social, cultural and religious values which is essential to be translated into meaningful business trade, investment and economic relations.
Vision Central Asia policy
The president recalled that the Vision Central Asia policy focused on five elements, comprising political and diplomatic, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defense, and, importantly, people-to-people contacts.
He said the current level of trade of $219.12 million in 2021-22 required to be substantially increased between the two countries by building new and improving the current linkages through roads and railway networks and through the sea routes.
The President hoped that with the revival of complete peace in Afghanistan, trade and investment activities between Kazakhstan and Pakistan would be further improved and added that the current leadership in Afghanistan would be able to establish long-lasting peace.
He expressed hope that Pakistan and Kazakhstan Inter-Governmental Joint Commission (IJC) on trade, economic, scientific, technological, and cultural cooperation, would take concrete decisions to improve further and cement the bilateral brotherly relations.
The Joint Commission is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on December 22-23.’
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Mazhilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan informed the President of the aims and objectives of the Kazakhstan Parliamentary delegation’s visit to Pakistan and added that during the stay, the delegation would meet other dignitaries including Chairman Senate, Speaker National Assembly, and other parliamentarians to explore ways to improve linkages between the two parliaments and increase people-to-people contacts.
The Chairman further said that the delegation would identify avenues and zones to enhance mutual trade and investment ties, identify common ground to forge purposeful partnerships in cultural and tourism sectors, would explore the possibility of shared ventures in different sectors of mutual interest and discuss matters and issues at bilateral, regional and international level.
