Kazakh envoy Kistafin highlights potential for bilateral cooperation with Pakistan

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Kazakh envoy Kistafin highlights potential for bilateral cooperation with Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD (Almas Haider Naqvi) – Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, H.E Yerzhan Kistafin says as far as the access to the warm waters, Pakistan’s seaports Karachi and Gawadar can provide the shortest route to Kazakhstan to reach out to the African and South East Asian markets.

“Pakistan’s role is very important in developing North-South, International Transport Corridor, however, stability in Afghanistan is vital for regional cooperation. Kazakhstan would be interested to buy the properties along the CPEC route near Gawardar and Karachi to facilitate Kazakhstani exports to the rest of the world. Unless Afghanistan is not stabilized, the security situation in the region is likely to remain alarming,”. the ambassador said.

“You have what we need, we have what you need, being the largest landlocked country we need access to the warm waters, through Pakistani sea ports, Karachi and Gawader. Probably we have the shortest route that develops a unique connectivity between the two nations. We will able to have an access to African and South East Asian markets”.

Simultaneously, the ambassador offered Kazakhstan could serve as the regional hub for Pakistani businessmen because Kazakhstan was the founding member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which meant Pakistani companies could establish their offices and manufacturing facilities in Kazakhstan. “They can sell their products to the entire region,” he said, adding that Kazakhstani land served as a bridge for centuries between East and West.

“Geographically Kazakhstan is attractive. In the last three decades it attracted more than 400 billion dollars in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which is 70 per cent of the total investment attracted by the CARs. Kazakh President stressed the need to explore a passages explore export potential. In this regard developing North-South, International Transport Corridor, Pakistan can play a central. Kazakhstan is rich in energy resources including oil, gas, uranium, and coal while Pakistan desperately needs the energy resources. We are ready to share with Pakistan what our country has,” he offered.
Yerzhan Kistafin underlined next year the relevant authorities would negotiate the possibilities of cooperation in the field of energy.

He pointed out that lack of connectivity and lack of information was required to be addressed to tap the potential that we have.

“I am happy to say that we are on the right track; we now have direct flights from Almaty to Lahore. Our first landed in Lahore on July 8, 2023,” he highlighted, adding that we are now just two and half hours away from each other.

“Owing to some untoward events that took place in the past, we lost this connection and it is high time to reconnect and start a new chapter in the modern history of bilateral relations,” he pointed out.

Through direct flights, people from both countries will be able explore new avenues for developing interaction, he said, explaining that on the very first flight from Almaty to Lahore, travel bloggers reached from Kazakhstan to Pakistan were deeply impressed by the beauty of the country, stunning nature, hospitable people, and historical heritage.

“They said they will come back again and again, another trip may be planned in October or December”, the envoy informed, “Vice versa, on the very first flight, from Lahore to Almaty, 50 Pakistani business people have travelled to Kazakhstan who would be exploring business opportunities in Almaty and Astana.”

Due to a lack of information, he said, "unfortunately our people know little about each other, our societies are not aware of the opportunity available to each other to deeper our bilateral cooperation.”

He identified seven areas for having promising future for bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, i.e. pharmaceutical, textile, sports goods, surgical instruments, agriculture and Information Technology.

“Director General National Logistics Company (NLC), Maj Gen Farrukh Shahzad Rao held constructive negotiations with our national and private companies in Kazakhstan, the main idea was to explore business opportunities for developing cooperation and addressing the lack of connectivity issue. In a meeting of DG, NLC with the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan stated Kazakhstan can export to Pakistan more than 80 products worth $400 million,” the envoy highlighted, hoping by the next year benchmark of one billion would be achieved in this regard.

Last year Pakistan was offered to buy wheat from Kazakhstan however the issue of connectivity proved a huge impediment, the envoy said, adding more that both the countries were required to develop connectivity between the two countries.

“Last June we launched our very first Trucks from the sub-border through the Karakoram Highway, connecting our countries through China and Kyrgistan. In June, NLC sent trucks from KP to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan under TIR Convention. As soon as the logistic issues are addressed, the bilateral can be enhanced to new heights. Currently, our bilateral trade is not more than $100 to $200 million. For me billion is a must, we have to cross the one billion mark,” the envoy informed.
Ambassador said, “We are planning to organise the meeting of Joint Working Group on Transport and Regional Connectivity during the year with relevant authorities to discuss what we can do to strengthen our connectivity.”

He said, “Our idea is to develop a transport route, all the way down to Karachi and Gawader seaport. In context CPEC plays a very crucial role.”

“From Peshawar by using the CPEC route, we can easily reach Gawadar by combing and connecting mutual infrastructure projects and in this connection next year we will be having a break through,” Kistafin believed.

“Joint working group on transport and regional connectivity will not only have talks in Islamabad but also visit Karachi and Gawader. By assessing the level of infrastructure development at these two seaports, we will decide to invest and buy some properties to facilities export of Kazakhstan’s goods to rest of world,” he added, explaining Afghanistan’s role remains crucial in developing regional cooperation.

“Pakistan and Kazakhstan share a similar approach that Afghanistan can be a regional transit hub between Pakistan and Central Asia. Involving Afghanistan in regional cooperation, we will be able to contribute to the security situation in the whole region and secondly we will be able to contribute to the economic development. Unless Afghanistan is not stabilised, the security situation in the region will be alarming. We have some concerns about the security situation in Afghanistan and we are required to address those concerns. In this regard we should implement collective measures, understand that without regional cooperation no country could survive,” Kazakh envoy stressed.

Pakistan federal minister of science and technology’s visit is on the card. Pakistan and Kazakhstan are interested to develop cooperation in science and technology not only at the bilateral level but also at the multilateral levels, he said.

Talking about the growing Islamophobia trends in Europe, he said Kazakhstan stressed the need for interfaith and civilisational dialogue.

“We should work together to impress upon the world that Islam is not about terrorism, extremism, and fundamentalism, but it is a religion of peace and harmony”, he stressed, concluding that apart from the economic ties, both the countries have to develop their cultural cooperation, explore common history, work on education, tourism, sports.