Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin on Tuesday said that direct air flight operation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan would start from July 8 this month, which would increase economic, social and cultural integration of both countries.
Addressing a round table on ‘Kazakhstan and Pakistan bilateral ties and way forward, he said a direct air flight between Almaty and Lahore would start on July 8. The Ambassador of Kazakhstan said that direct air flights between the two countries were crucial for regional economic and trade integration in Kazakhstan and Pakistan.
He said that duration of the direct flight between the two countries would be 2 hours, which would promote mutual economic and trade relations and the possibilities of cooperation in the field of tourism would be brighter.
The envoy said that after success of direct flight operations in these two cities, such air service would be started between other big cities including Islamabad and Karachi.
He said that just last week; there was a phone conversation between the President of Kazakhstan, Kassim Takayov, and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif during which issues of mutual interest between the two countries were discussed.
The Ambassador said that the top leadership of both the countries was determined to strengthening and promoting of bilateral economic, trade and diplomatic relations.
He said that Kazakhstan was currently a great destination for foreign investment which attracted $28 billion FDI this year.
He said that there was a lot of potential in the ports of Gwadar and Karachi of Pakistan, through which Kazakhstan, including Central Asia, can be accessed to the markets of Europe and Africa. Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin said that Kazakhstan had vast reserves of energy, gas and oil which Pakistan could take advantage of.
He said that Kazakhstan was currently the third largest exporter of wheat in the world, which had wide possibilities for cooperation with Pakistan.
Kazakhstan is an important member of the Eurasian Organization, which Pakistan can also benefit from, he said. He said the role of media was very important in the relations between the two countries, which could open new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.
On this occasion, Director Pakistan China Institute of Strategic Studies and Central Asia, Dr. Talat Shabbir said that Kazakhstan and Pakistan had 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.
