Kazakhstan, Pakistan elevate USD1bn trade target: Ambassador

LAHORE: Kazakhstan and Pakistan have elevated their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, with both sides setting an ambitious target of reaching USD1 billion in trade volume in the coming years.

This was stated by Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, during his visit to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

The Ambassador noted that the recent visit of Kazakhstan’s President to Pakistan after more than two decades marked a historic milestone, resulting in the signing of a joint declaration on strategic partnership and over 70 agreements and MoUs across trade, education, sports, and culture. To translate this momentum into concrete outcomes, a high-level joint working group has been formed to develop a five-year roadmap, supported by six sectoral groups covering trade, transport, energy, agriculture, IT, and education.

Both sides are also working to ease business travel through e-visa facilities, strengthened banking channels, and plans to restore direct flights between Lahore and Almaty. Sister city relationships between Lahore and Turkestan, Karachi and Almaty, and Faisalabad and Shymkent are also underway.

LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol stressed that despite strong diplomatic ties, trade remains far below its true potential and called for greater business-to-business engagement, joint ventures, and improved regional connectivity to fully unlock economic cooperation between the two countries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026