Information Minister Ch. Fawad, on behalf of the Govt and people of Pakistan, felicitates the leadership and people of Kazakhstan on their national day
Naveed Ahamd Khan Photo By: Raja Ghulam Farid
Islamabad: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared its independence on December 16, 1991. The country has been swiftly moving towards prosperity and development since its independence under the leadership of Noor Sultan Nazarbayev and stands today as one of the strongest economies in the region. As an important player in the new global world, its sustainable economic policies are in the interests of all and strengthen its reputation in the international community.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the independence of Republic of Kazakhstan, Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin and his spouse hosted an impressive reception at Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.A large number of Diplomats, High Commissioner, Defense Attaché, Business community and media persons attended the event. Chief Guest was the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain.Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Syed Fakhar Imam,Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Chairman , Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights, Pakistan Riaz Fatyana and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Malik Amir Dogar also attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said Pakistan and Kazakhstan were needed to work closely at different fora to ensure peace and stability in the world especially within the region.He said both the countries were members of important international fora including the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Economic Cooperation Organization.
The Minister said the world including Kazakhstan must come forward to help mitigate the sufferings of Afghan people on humanitarian basis. Peace and stability in Afghanistan vital for the entire region including Pakistan, he added.
Fawad, on behalf of the Govt and people of Pakistan, also felicitated the leadership and people of Kazakhstan on their national day.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan ties were anchored in the shared religious and cultural values and had the potential to become important trade partners due to their strong diplomatic, historical, religious and political ties, he noted.
The Minister said his country was committed to promote inclusive coordination with the Central Asian countries under its ‘Vision Central Asia Policy’.
Kazakhstan is an important country of Asia, he said while stressing the need for boosting bilateral cooperation in industrial and agriculture sectors by both the countries whose economies were mainly based on those sectors.
The two countries needed to work together in the areas of politics, trade, and investment, energy, bilateral relations, security and culture, the minister maintained and called for promoting bilateral cooperation among their private sectors.
“We want to expand the railway and road network with the Central Asian States,” Fawad stressed and said both the countries had important places in the region due to their geographical importance and the Silk Route.
He said there had been vast trade opportunities in Pakistan especially in the fields of energy, agriculture, information technology, communications, construction and railways.
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin,in his thought-provoking speech, said that in 30 years of independence under the leadership of president Noor Sultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan had seen unparalleled progress and had become an example of stable economic growth and stability. Today we are a dynamically-developing country and the largest economy in central Asia and are ambitious to join the top developed economies of the world in 2050.
Pakistan, he said, was the first country to recognise Kazakhstan after independence in 1991 and it was Pakistan where our president paid the first visit. From the very beginning, he said, our relations with Pakistan are based on mutual respect and we are supporting each other on international forums. Both the countries have similar stance on major global issues and we easily see this in our cooperation in United Nations, OIC, Asia Europe forum and many other forums.He said that OIC had planned to develop science and technology sector for Muslim countries.
“Pakistan and Kazakhstanhave great potential to develop regional cooperation by connecting central and south Asia”Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin
He said,“We look forward to enhancing this cooperation and our trade and economic cooperation is increasing to the largest landlocked countries to lead economies. Both the countries have great potential to develop regional cooperation by connecting central and south Asia”. He appreciated the development and progress of Pakistan. Pakistan sends troops in peace keeping missions, Pakistan fights terrorism and we idealise Pakistan’s contribution in this regard, he said.
In today’s world, the international and regional strategic scenario is changing. There is a need for both countries to take concrete steps to improve regional and economic cooperation.
Implementation of the plan of direct flights for improving trade relations is necessary. Simplifying the visa process and banking relations can also help to promote bilateral trade and investment, he said.
It is pertinent to mention that the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin is a dynamic, energetic and intellectual man. His efforts to promote trade and investment between Pakistan and Kazakhstan are remarkable.