Kazakhstan is gearing up to launch direct flights to and from Pakistan in a bid to boost business and cultural ties between the two countries.
Kazakh Ambassador, Yerzhan Kistafin, announced this plan during a visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Wednesday.
Starting in April, direct flights will be available between Almaty and Lahore, followed by Almaty and Karachi in May. The Kazakh envoy hopes that this will help promote business-to-business and people-to-people relations, which in turn will spur economic growth and development in both countries.
Kistafin also revealed that the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is set to visit Pakistan later this year. This visit, according to the ambassador, will mark a new chapter in trade and economic relations between the two nations.
During the Presidential visit, 20 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be signed to further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan in multiple fields.
The ambassador invited businesspersons to attend the launch of direct flights and to explore business opportunities in Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh envoy also praised Zafar Bakhtawari, former President of ICCI, for his role in facilitating the first-ever direct flights between the two countries.
To deepen economic ties, Kazakhstan intends to sign a transit trade agreement and an agreement between the banking sectors of both countries, providing a legal framework for bilateral trade promotion.
To further promote business cooperation, a delegation of Pakistan’s businesswomen will visit Kazakhstan in the near future to explore potential partnerships with their Kazakh counterparts.
The upcoming launch of direct flights between Pakistan and Kazakhstan is a significant development for both countries and is expected to pave the way for increased trade and economic growth in the years to come.