Pakistan values cordial ties with Kazakhstan: Asad

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser Tuesday said  Pakistan and Kazakhstan enjoyed cordial relations based on strong foundation of religion, brotherhood, history and culture.

Expressing the desire for strengthening the bilateral relations, he said that Pakistan wanted to further expand existing bilateral relations through enhanced parliamentary and economic cooperation.

He expressed these views while talking to Ambassador of Kazakhstan Barlybay Sadykov who called on him at Parliament House here.

While stressing the need for socioeconomic cooperation between two brotherly countries, the Speaker said that there were vast opportunities for cooperation in trade, defence, tourism, agriculture and other socioeconomic spheres in both countries which could be utilized for the best interests of both nations.

Referring to the vast opportunity of investment in Pakistan, he said that incumbent government had introduced investment friendly policies in the country from which investors from Kazakhstan could  benefit.

Stressing the need for close contacts between the parliaments of both the countries, Asad Qaiser said that the Parliamentarians could play an important role to strengthen bilateral relations.

He informed the Ambassador that Pak-Kazakh Parliamentary Friendship Group had been formulated in the National Assembly of Pakistan to enhance the contacts between the Parliaments of both countries and expressed his desire that same practice should be reciprocated by the Parliament of Kazakhstan.

He termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a game changer project and expressed the hope that it would generate vast opportunities of employment and development in the region. He asked the Central Asian countries to take advantage from this project.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan Barlybay Sadykov thanked the Speaker for his kind remarks and said that Pakistan was an important country of the region and Kazakhstan highly valued its relations with Pakistan.

He said his government wanted to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in diverse fields.  He appreciated Pakistan’s role for promoting peace and stability in the region. He agreed with the proposal of the Speaker to enhance contacts in Parliaments of both countries, saying that parliamentary friendship groups could play an important role in bringing together both the nations.

The Ambassador extended invitation to Speaker to attend the Euro Asia Speakers’ Conference and the Speaker expressed his willingness to attend the event.