ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq acknowledged on Thursday the brotherly relations that have existed between Pakistan and Kazakhstan since Kazakhstan’s independence.
According to a press release issued here, he stated that trade and cooperation between the two countries have steadily increased, but that both countries need to work harder on it.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, met with Federal Minister of Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq here.
The meeting focused on topics of mutual interest.
The Ambassador informed the Minister that the 11th session of the Kazakh-Pak Intergovernmental Joint Commission (IJC) will be held in Islamabad next month, co-chaired by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration.
He emphasised the development areas on the session’s agenda. Connectivity via land and air routes, trade relations, agriculture, energy, banking channels, education, and investment opportunities are among these sectors.
Furthermore, the Ambassador stated that the Republic of Kazakhstan is eager to provide 70,000 tonnes of additional humanitarian aid to flood-affected areas in Pakistan, including tents, winter clothing, and sleeping bags.
The Minister praised the humanitarian assistance and emphasised the importance of accelerating development in the railway and power sectors.
He stated that connecting to Central Asia is in both countries’ best interests. Both countries must look into ways to strengthen bilateral ties through land and air connectivity.
The Secretary EAD also acknowledged the friendly relations between the two countries and assured full cooperation in the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and Inter-Ministerial Meeting (IMM) to finalise the agenda for the 11th IJC session.