Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday vowed to take bilateral trade volume with Kazakhstan to $1 billion over the next year, citing the potential of the two countries.
The premier made the announcement while addressing a joint press conference with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is currently on a two-day visit to Pakistan.
A signing ceremony was held at the joint press conference, where the two countries signed 27 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in several sectors, including petroleum, mining, and maritime affairs.
At the outset of his address, PM Shehbaz welcomed the delegation from Kazakhstan, noting that it was the “first time in 23 years that a Kazakh president was visiting the country”.
He stated that the two of them had “very useful and productive meetings since the morning, and just now we signed 37 MoUs”.
PM Shehbaz expressed hope that President Tokayev “will make sure that the MoUs are converted into agreements and then [move] to their implementation phase as early as possible”.
The premier also vowed to ensure “speedy” implementation of the MoUs on his part.
“If we are to make these MoUs a reality, our economic, trade, and cultural relations will go notches higher,” the premier maintained.
He commended President Tokayev for being a “very serious-minded politician, an accomplished diplomat”.
He also congratulated the Kazakh premier on receiving Nishan-i-Pakistan, stressing that the honour reflected Pakistan’s “deep appreciation of your visionary leadership and your outstanding contribution towards strengthening the close and friendly ties between our two brotherly countries”.
The premier then shifted his attention to US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, and congratulated President Tokayev for joining the board.
“Let us pray and hope to God that we will be successful in bringing long-lasting peace in Gaza, its reconstruction, and of course, make the two-state solution a reality as soon as possible,” PM Shehbaz said.
