Direct air flight between Kazakhstan- Pakistan to start from July 8th: Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin

Islamabad: Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin on Tuesday said that direct air flight between Kazakhstan and Pakistan will be started from July 8th of this month, which will increase the economic, social and cultural integration of both countries.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan said that a direct air flight between Almaty and Lahore will be started on July 8 this month.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan , Yerzhan Kistafin said this while addressing the round table on ‘Kazakhstan and Pakistan bilateral ties and way forward along with Director Pakistan and China Centre of Institute of Strategic Studies and Central Asia, Dr. Talat Shabbir organized by the National Press Club (NPC) Islamabad.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan said that direct air flights between the two countries are very important for regional economic and trade integration in Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

He said that the duration of the direct flight between the two countries will be 2 hours, which will promote mutual economic and trade relations and the possibilities of cooperation in the field of tourism will be brighter.

He said that after the success of direct flight in these two cities, such air service will be started between other big cities including Islamabad and Karachi.

He said that just last week; there was a phone conversation between the President of Kazakhstan, Kassim Takayov, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, in which issues of mutual interest between the two countries were discussed.

The Ambassador said that the top leadership of both the countries is determined for the strengthening and promoting of bilateral economic, trade and diplomatic relations.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan said that Pakistan’s vision of regional economic and trade integration is very important, in which Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, has great importance.

He said that Kazakhstan is currently a great destination for foreign investment in which direct foreign investment of $28 billion has taken place this year on 2022-23.

Similarly, in the last 10 years, foreign investment of $400 billion came to Kazakhstan, which can be estimated to be an attractive country for foreign investment.

He said that there is a lot of attraction in the ports of Gwadar and Karachi of Pakistan, through which Kazakhstan, including Central Asia, can be accessed to the markets of Europe and Africa.

Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin said that Kazakhstan has vast reserves of energy, gas and oil which Pakistan can take advantage of.

He said that Kazakhstan is currently the third largest exporter of wheat in the world, which has wide possibilities for cooperation with Pakistan.

Kazakhstan is an important member of the Eurasian Organization, which Pakistan can also benefit from, he said.

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan,said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan have vast possibilities of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, education, sports and tourism.

He said that the role of media is very important in the relations between the two countries, which can open new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.

He said that the work on historical linguistic compatibility between Pakistan and Kazakhstan is also going on, which will give the two countries an opportunity to come closer.

On this occasion, Director Pakistan China Institute of Strategic Studies and Central Asia, Dr. Talat Shabbir said that Kazakhstan and Pakistan have wide possibilities of economic, trade and diplomatic cooperation.

Dr. Talat Shabbir said that so far 35 bilateral MOUs have been signed between the two countries in various fields, most of which have been implemented.

He said that the direct air flight between the two countries will be started on July 8 this month, which is a good initiative of the both governments.

He said that the two countries have vast possibilities of cooperation in energy, education, agriculture, transport and tourism.

Director ISSI said that mutual economic relations between the two countries are very important in which the role of business chambers is very important.

Finally, Secretary Finance National Press Club Islamabad, Nayyar Ali said that Central Asia is very important and Kazakhstan is an important country in it.

He said that the launch of direct flights between the two countries is very important, which will give a new dimension to the mutual relations between the two sides.