ASTANA, Kazakhstan: The Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov has said that Kazakhstan wants to become part of the $46 billion Pakistan-China Economic Corridor as it would provide an alternative route for access to sea.
Karim Massimov expressed his country’s’ desire in a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who reached Astana on a two-day official visit to Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on entire range of bilateral relations and regional situation.
“There is great opportunities for trade expansion and investment promotion between Pakistan and Kazakhstan,” Nawaz Sharif told his Kazakh counterpart.
Sharif said that the two countries should strength cooperation in engineering, food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals and highways.
The Kazakh premier in his remarks called for preparations for meeting of governmental commission between the two countries and said that cooperation in transport infrastructure would help promote bilateral trade.
“Kazakhstan wants to cooperate with Pakistan for promotion of regional peace,” he said.
Pakistan, Kazakhstan agree to enhance bilateral cooperation
Earlier, Nawaz Sharif and the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov held a meeting in Astana and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interests.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed to enhance trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
The prime minister said that Pakistan accords high priority to its deep historical and cultural bonds with the Central Asian region while Pakistan is committed to expand cooperative relations with Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh foreign minister said that the relation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan will further be improved due to the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Pakistan, Kazakhstan sign MoUs for cooperation in various fields
Meanwhile, Pakistan and Kazakhstan signed several agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for cooperation in different areas.
The signing ceremony was held at Astana, and was attended among others by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Kazakh counterpart Karim Massimov.
Under a MoU signed with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, the two countries have agreed to promote bilateral trade and investment while another MoU was signed between the Foreign Service Academy of Pakistan and Kazakhstan Academy of Public Administration for training of diplomats.
The two countries also signed a MoU for cooperation in defence and strategic research.
