Tokayev: Pakistan is an important and reliable partner of Kazakhstan in South Asia
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif held extended talks in Islamabad, Qazinform News Agency learned from the Akorda press service.
The Head of State emphasized it was a great honor for him to visit Islamabad and become acquainted with Pakistan's rich culture, cultural heritage, and centuries-long traditions.
“This is my first state visit as the President of Kazakhstan, and I am convinced that it is of historical significance and marks an important milestone in our time-tested partnership. I highly appreciate the friendship between our nations, forged through the centuries of interaction along the Silk Road and within the broader Islamic civilization,” said Tokayev.
The Head of State pointed out the symbolic nature of this visit, marking the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. He reminded that since the first years of Kazakhstan's independence, Pakistan had been the country's important and reliable partner in South Asia.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Joint Declaration on Establishment of the Strategic Partnership to be signed today, represents a significant historical milestone and opens a new chapter in the bilateral cooperation.
The Kazakh President expressed confidence that Astana and Islamabad are well-positioned to give a strong impetus to the bilateral ties.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that he had arrived in Pakistan with a large delegation and a certain package of proposals aimed at significantly enhancing trade-economic and investment cooperation, as well as collaboration in other priority spheres.
Special attention was given to the issue of transport interconnectivity, one of the key priorities for Kazakhstan, which is located at the intersection of major transport routes between East and West, North and South. In this regard, according to the President, Kazakhstan will continue implementing important projects in transport and logistics sector, including in close coordination with the Central Asian states.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited Pakistani Prime Minister to pay a state visit to Kazakhstan, reaffirming his readiness to welcome the high-profile guest this year, in order to sum up the results of implementation of the agreements reached and outline further steps to strengthen the bilateral relations.
The meeting emphasized the importance of close cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan within multilateral platforms, including UN, SCO and others.
Earlier, the Kazakh leader and Pakistan’s Prime Minister held a narrow-format meeting in Islamabad.
