Pakistan and Kazakhstan have reached key agreements during the 13th session of the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Joint Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) held in Islamabad on April 29, 2025. The agreements include a new transit trade deal, as well as efforts to strengthen regional economic and trade ties between the two nations.
One of the significant outcomes of the meeting was the finalization of a Transit Trade Agreement, which will enable Kazakhstan to utilize Pakistan’s key ports, including Karachi, Bin Qasim, and Gwadar, for trade. This move is expected to enhance trade routes to landlocked countries in the region.
During the two-day conference, co-chaired by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahad Cheema, and Kazakhstan’s Transport Minister, Marat Karabayev, a number of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) were signed. The MOUs covered areas including transport, trade, education, business, and cultural cooperation.
Another key aspect of the discussions was the potential launch of direct flights between Pakistan and Kazakhstan. Transport officials from both countries, including Kazakhstan’s Marat Karabayev and Pakistan’s Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, discussed the possibility of improving air connectivity by launching direct flights from Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi to various destinations in Kazakhstan. There was also a focus on easing travel restrictions for business travelers and enhancing road and rail infrastructure to better facilitate trade.
The two countries also discussed the implementation of a “Roadmap for Trade and Economic Cooperation,” which aims to enhance regional connectivity through multimodal trade corridors. This includes the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan trade routes. The success of a trade corridor connecting Jebel Ali in the UAE to Almaty, Kazakhstan, passing through Pakistan, was highlighted as a key achievement.
Further collaboration is planned in the agriculture sector, where both countries aim to strengthen cooperation on plant protection and quarantine standards. The first meeting of the Joint Working Group on agriculture will explore investment opportunities in this area.
Additionally, Pakistan and Kazakhstan have made progress in financial cooperation, with discussions underway to establish agreements between Pakistan’s State Bank and Kazakhstan’s regulatory authorities. Pakistan also committed to providing capacity-building programs for Kazakhstan’s banking professionals.
On the cultural front, the two nations agreed to promote joint tourism initiatives and share lists of certified tour operators. Kazakhstan also expressed interest in opening branches of the Chess Academy and the Qazaq Batyry Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Islamabad.
The meeting also focused on enhancing educational ties, with plans to establish a joint working group to improve academic collaboration and consider the creation of a science and technology center at NUST in Islamabad. Several MoUs were signed between Pakistan’s NADRA and Kazakhstan’s National Information Technologies Agency, as well as between Astana Hub and Ignite, for future cooperation in digital innovation and governance.
In the business sector, agreements valued at approximately $140.8 million were signed during a business forum and B2B meetings in Karachi. These agreements included deals for the supply of anhydrous milk fat from Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan Limited to Optima Development Kazakhstan, as well as an MoU between the Governor’s Office of Kyzylorda Region and businesses in both countries.
Officials described the forum as an important step in strengthening economic relations, with plans for further initiatives to expand trade and cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
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