ISLAMABAD : 04 Feb 2026 – Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Wednesday agreed to significantly enhance trade, investment, and regional connectivity, committing to raise the bilateral trade volume to $1 billion within the next year and to promote a multi-country transport corridor linking Central and South Asia.
“We have agreed to the Belarus- Russia- Kazakhstan- Uzbekistan, Afghanistan- Pakistan transport corridor to enhance our regional connectivity,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said during a joint press stakeout along with President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev here.
The prime minister said both countries would encourage their respective business communities to come forward and invest in joint ventures, noting that despite strong political relations and shared goodwill, the existing investment portfolio remained negligible.
“Unfortunately, our trade volume is just a meager $250 million in last year. And this does not reflect not only the strength of our friendship, but also the potential of the two countries,” he said adding that there was great potential on both sides, and with the joint efforts, both sides could make significant progress.
Earlier, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of 37 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements across a wide range of sectors. These included finance, trade, industry, transport, energy, health, culture, security, education, media, science, technology, climate change, agriculture, and other areas of mutual interest.
He hoped that economic cooperation between the countries would now move towards practical and result-oriented outcomes. He also emphasized the importance of timely implementation of the signed agreements.
He said the MoUs should be converted into actionable projects at the earliest to deliver tangible benefits to both countries.
The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s strong interest in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan in energy, mining, transport, culture, and information sectors, noting that both countries were endowed with natural resources and human capital.
He also congratulated the President of Kazakhstan on accepting the invitation, being a member of the Board of Peace under President Trump’s leadership. “Let us hope and pray to Allah Almighty that through our joint efforts, we will be successful in bringing long-lasting peace in Gaza. It’s a reconstruction. And of course, make the two-state solution a reality as soon as possible.”
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described Pakistan as a reliable and important partner of Kazakhstan in South Asia and beyond.
He said the elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership opened new opportunities for cooperation across the full spectrum of bilateral and multilateral engagement.
“By elevating our relations to a new level, we open up immense opportunities to engage across a full spectrum of bilateral and multilateral agenda,” President Tokayev said.
He noted that bilateral trade had already shown positive momentum, doubling in the previous year, and said both sides had agreed on concrete measures to further expand trade with an ambitious but achievable target of $1 billion in the near future.
President Tokayev highlighted cooperation in transport and logistics as a priority area, particularly projects aimed at expanding trade flows and improving connectivity. He said discussions also covered Pakistan’s growing role in regional transit and logistics, including the use of the ports of Karachi and Gwadar as potential gateways for Central Asian trade.
The Kazakh president said both sides also agreed to explore the resumption of direct air connections to promote business, tourism, and people-to-people contact.
President Tokayev also invited Pakistani companies to establish production facilities in Kazakhstan, particularly in agricultural processing, pharmaceuticals, and construction materials, and assured favorable conditions for Pakistani investors.
H.E Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and held bilateral Meetings at Prime Minister House at Islamabad
An official welcome ceremony was held in honor of the visiting dignitary, during which he also inspected the Guard of Honor.
The two leaders had a one-on-one meeting, in which Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, COAS and CDF, were also present. This was followed by delegation level talks, in which key cabinet ministers from both sides participated.
During the delegation level talks, the Prime Minister hailed President Tokayev’s visit as a historic milestone in Pakistan-Kazakhstan bilateral relations, as it was the first visit by a Kazakh President to Pakistan, after 23 years.
The two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction over the growing frequency of high-level exchanges and the effectiveness of established institutional mechanisms, including Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Intergovernmental Commission.
They reaffirmed their shared commitment to expanding Pakistan-Kazakhstan cooperation in political, economic, defence, and people-to-people domains.
Reaffirming their commitment to further deepening Pakistan-Kazakhstan relations, both leaders expressed confidence that the outcomes of the visit, including the signing of 37 MOUs and Agreements and a Joint Declaration signed by the two leaders on “Establishment of Strategic Partnership”, would open new avenues of cooperation.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan signed accords of cooperation in multiple sectors, including trade, investment, energy, education, sports, railways, artificial intelligence, health, and others.
The pacts were signed during the ongoing first two-day state visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Pakistan, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Held at the Prime Minister’s House, the ceremony was witnessed by both the leaders as the ministers and officials from both sides exchanged the documents.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan signed a landmark Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
The two sides signed a Transit Trade Agreement and an MoU between the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Petroleum of Pakistan on cooperation in the field of petroleum, mining, and geosciences.
An Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters between the governments of Pakistan and Kazakhstan was concluded, besides signing a Treaty of Extradition.
Both sides signed a draft agreement on cooperation in plant protection and plant quarantine and an MoU on joint deployment in United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping missions.
The two countries also signed a Draft MoU between the Railways Ministry of Pakistan and the Transport Ministry of Kazakhstan; MoU between the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication of Pakistan and the Ministry of Digital Development of Kazakhstan; MoU in the field of climate change and environmental protection; and MoU between the ministries of health of both countries on mutual cooperation in the field of healthcare.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan also signed an MoU between the Ministry of Maritime Affairs of Pakistan and the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, besides an action plan and roadmap on cooperation in the field of cultural and humanitarian collaboration between the ministries of culture.
An MoU on news exchange between Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and the Republican State Enterprise with the right of Economic Management TV and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan was signed.
Both sides also inked MoUs between Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training of Pakistan; between the State Bank of Pakistan and the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of Kazakhstan on banking cooperation; between the Ministry of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan and Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority; and between KTZ Express Kazakhstan and NLC Pakistan.
The two countries signed an Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan on cooperation in the field of veterinary medicine.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan also signed MoUs for cooperation in the fields of information exchange and professional development; establishment of Ahmad Yasawi Research Center at the International Islamic University Islamabad; establishment of Al Farabi Center at Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan; and establishment of Pakistan-Kazakhstan Sports Center Dostyq.
An MoU was signed between the Foreign Policy Research Institute of Kazakhstan and the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad; between Pakistan Post and Kazpost, and between the National Academy of Performing Arts, Pakistan, and the Ministry of Culture of Kazakhstan.
A Program for the Implementation of the Agreement between the Kazakh Institute of Standardization and Metrology and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority was signed, along with a cooperation agreement between Shokan Ualikhanov Kokshetau University of Kazakhstan and the National University of Modern Languages of Pakistan.
The two countries signed an MoU between the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and the Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture and Crop Production for the exchange of genetic resources of agricultural crops, and for cooperation in the field of broadcasting between JSC “Khabar Agency” (Kazakhstan) and Pakistan TV.
Both sides also inked MoUs between the Autonomous Cluster Fund Astana Hub and the Ignite National Technology Fund of Pakistan; between Satbayev Kazakh National Research Technical University and the National University of Science and Technology of Pakistan; and for the establishment of a sister city relationship between Faisalabad and Shymkent.
Astana Medical University of Kazakhstan signed an MoU of cooperation with King Edward Medical University of Pakistan University of Health Sciences Lahore.
An MoU was also signed between Astana IT University of Kazakhstan and the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology, Pakistan, as well as an agreement for cooperation in combating crimes between the two countries.
In this regard, the two leaders agreed to establish a Working Committee, comprising of senior Ministers and relevant officials of both sides, that will devise a road map to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation over the next five years.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday unveiled commemorative plaques for the establishment of two mutual initiatives related to sports and education.
A ceremony was held at the Prime Minister’s House where the PM Shehbaz Sharif and the Kazakhstan President unveiled the commemorative plaque for the establishment of the Kazakhstan–Pakistan Dostik Sports Centre, aimed at further strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of sports.
In addition, a commemorative plaque was also unveiled for the establishment of three centres in the education sector to promote cooperation between academic institutions and students of the two countries.
Under this initiative, a Technical Research Centre will be established through collaboration among three universities, along with the establishment of the Ahmed Yasawi Research Centre and the Al-Farabi Centre.
Prime Minister shared on X : Delighted to host my dear brother President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Islamabad on this historic visit — the first by a Kazakh President in 23 years.
We agreed to elevate our relations to a Strategic Partnership, enhance bilateral trade to $1 billion, deepen regional connectivity, and expand cooperation across economic, defence, energy, and people-to-people domains.
We also addressed the Pakistan–Kazakhstan Business Forum, where it was heartening to see business leaders from both nations engaging to create new opportunities across key sectors.
I am confident that President Tokayev’s visit will open new avenues for shared prosperity and stronger regional integration. Our two sides will work closely to devise a roadmap to translate our political goodwill into concrete economic outcomes before my visit to Astana.
