ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said boosting trade with Kazakhstan and other Central Asian Republics (CARs) through Karachi and Gwadar was an important element of Pakistan’s ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy.
“There is a great potential for diversifying bilateral trade relations and entering into joint ventures in the fields of agriculture, IT, textile, energy, logistics, housing and construction”, he said while talking to Chairman of the Mazhilis (Lower House) of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Koshanov Yerlan Zhakanovich who led a delegation, here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
President Alvi said Pakistan and Kazakhstan enjoy fraternal brotherly relations rooted in a common heritage and social, cultural and religious values which need to be translated into meaningful business trade, investment and economic relations.
He mentioned that the Vision Central Asia policy focused on five elements including political and diplomatic, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defence, and people-to-people contacts.
He said the existing level of trade of US$219.12 million in 2021-22 needed to be substantially increased keeping in view the immense potential that existed between the two countries by building new and improving existing linkages through roads and railway networks, and through the sea.
The president expressed the hope that with the establishment of complete peace in Afghanistan, trade and investment between Kazakhstan and Pakistan would receive much-needed impetus and hoped that the current leadership in Afghanistan would succeed in establishing sustainable peace.
He hoped that Pakistan and Kazakhstan Inter-Governmental Joint Commission (IJC) on trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation scheduled to be held in Islamabad on December 22-23, 2022 would take tangible decisions to further improve and cement the bilateral brotherly and fraternal relations.
President Alvi said the international community should take a strong exception to atrocities being perpetually committed by the Indian Security Forces against innocent Kashmiris who were demanding their legitimate right to self-determination as promised to them by various resolutions of UNSC on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“The international community should take notice of harassment, chastisement, and intimidation of minorities, especially Muslims, and desecration of their places of worship with total impunity”, he added.
He emphasized that the world was in flux therefore, Pakistan and Kazakhstan should also try to forge close cooperation to deal with the emerging situations with dignity and respect and should continue to play their part in the resolution of regional and international issues.
Chairman of Mazhilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan briefed the President on the aims and objectives of the Kazakhstan Parliamentary delegation’s visit to Pakistan and said that during the stay, the delegation would meet with the Chairman Senate, Speaker of the National Assembly and other parliamentarians to discuss ways and means to further improve linkages between the two parliaments and substantially increase people-to-people contacts.
He further said that the delegation would identify avenues and areas to further improve bilateral trade and investment relations, identify common ground to forge meaningful partnerships in cultural and tourism sectors, would explore the possibility of joint ventures in various sectors of mutual interest and discuss matters and issues related to bilateral, regional and international importance.
The president expressed the hope that the visit of the Chairman would further enhance and deepen the understanding between the two brotherly countries.
Speaker National Assembly, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Mr Yerzhan Kistafin, and senior officials were also present during the meeting.
