Pakistan, Kazakhstan Accelerate Trade and Connectivity Partnership
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kazakhstan agreed on Saturday to accelerate cooperation in trade, investment, energy and regional transport links as their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Kyrgyzstan. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Yermek Kosherbayev, as both governments sought to turn their growing diplomatic relationship into practical economic projects.
The two ministers reviewed cooperation across several areas, including transport infrastructure, investment opportunities, commercial exchanges and coordination at international forums. They also discussed stronger people-to-people links, which could include greater educational, tourism and professional engagement between the two countries.
Their meeting focused particularly on implementing agreements reached during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Pakistan earlier in 2026. That visit produced 37 memorandums of understanding and agreements covering multiple sectors, alongside a joint declaration establishing a strategic partnership between Islamabad and Astana.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the ministers expressed satisfaction with the momentum generated by the presidential visit and reaffirmed their intention to carry out the agreed measures. Kosherbayev also acknowledged Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for regional peace, while both sides reiterated support for stability, economic development and constructive cooperation across Central and South Asia.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan have previously set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade to $1 billion. Their economic strategy includes diversifying traded goods, encouraging private-sector investment and developing road, rail, air and maritime links capable of moving Central Asian cargo through Pakistan’s ports. Potential cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, energy and logistics has also been identified as a priority.
Regional connectivity remains central to the partnership because landlocked Kazakhstan is seeking efficient access to markets in the Arabian Sea, the Gulf, Africa and Southeast Asia. Pakistan, meanwhile, wants to expand its role as a transit and logistics hub by offering access to Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar. Proposed corridors linking Kazakhstan with Pakistan through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan could shorten trade routes, although their success will depend on infrastructure, security and harmonised customs procedures.
President Tokayev’s February visit was the first by a Kazakh president to Pakistan in 23 years, giving fresh political momentum to ties that have historically remained friendly but economically underdeveloped. During that visit, the two governments also discussed restoring direct air connections, improving transit-trade arrangements and creating a five-year roadmap for commercial cooperation.
For Pakistan, deeper engagement with Kazakhstan could support export growth, attract investment and strengthen economic links with the wider Central Asian region. Improved transport corridors may provide Pakistani manufacturers with new markets while increasing cargo activity at domestic ports and creating opportunities for logistics, warehousing and value-added industries.
The latest meeting indicates that both governments are now concentrating on converting earlier commitments into measurable results. Kosherbayev invited Dar to visit Kazakhstan, providing another opportunity to review implementation, resolve logistical obstacles and advance investment proposals. Future progress will be judged by whether the 37 agreements lead to operational projects, higher trade volumes and reliable regional transport connections.