ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin has said that the direct flight between Almaty and Lahore will start from July 08, 2023 and its duration will be of two hours.
While addressing the Round Table Conference between Pakistan and Kazakhstan at the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad, the ambassador said that the direct flights between the two Countries are very important for regional economic and trade connectivity.
Ambasssador Yerzhan Kistafin said that the direct flight between Pakistan and Kazakhstan will promote mutual economic and trade relations and brighten the prospects of cooperation in the tourism sector. It will also help in increasing the economic, social and cultural integration of the two Countries, he added.
The envoy said that after the success of direct air flight between Lahore and Almaty, such service will be started between other big Cities including Islamabad and Karachi.
Yerzhan Kistafin further said that Pakistan’s Gwadar and Karachi Ports are very attractive for Kazakhstan which will allow the Central Asian Countries including Kazakhstan to have an access to Middle Eastern and African markets.
The ambassador went on to say that Kazakhstan is currently a great destination for foreign investment in which direct foreign investment of USS$ 28 billion took place in 2022-23.
Similarly, in the last 10 years, foreign investment of US$ 400 billion came to Kazakhstan which can be estimated to be an attractive destination for foreign investment.
In his remarks, the Director Pakistan China Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI) and Central Asia Dr. Talat Shabbir said that Kazakhstan and Pakistan have wide possibilities of economic, trade and diplomatic cooperation.
Dr. Talat Shabbir said that so far 35 bilateral MOUs have been signed between the two Countries in various fields, most of which have been implemented. He said that the two Countries have vast possibilities of cooperation in energy, education, agriculture, transport and tourism.
The Director ISSI said that mutual economic relations between the two Countries are very important in which the role of business chambers is very important.
The Secretary Finance NPC Islamabad Nayyar Ali said that Central Asia is very important and Kazakhstan is an important Country in it.
Nayyar Ali said that the launch of direct flights between the two Countries is very important, which will give a new dimension to the mutual relations between the two sides.
