Stable Afghanistan vital for regional growth: PM

Pakistan, Kazakhstan sign MoUs for trade, defence and training

ASTANA:

Stability in Afghanistan will bring prosperity and enhance cooperation in the entire region, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told his Kazakh counterpart Karim Massimov on Tuesday. He said Pakistan and Kazakhstan had a common interest in a peaceful, stable and united Afghanistan. “The two countries also support an all-inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process.”

The prime minister reached Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on a two-day visit, on the invitation of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nawaz shared with Premier Massimov the Pakistani government’s vision of establishing energy and trade corridors with Central Asian states.

He said Pakistan had suffered because of extremism and terrorism for a decade and was now leading the fight against the twin menaces. “Pakistan wants good relations with all its neighbours, including India,” he added.

Premier Nawaz said the Pakistani military’s extensive operation, codenamed Zarb-e-Azb, against all terrorist groups had yielded positive results. “Pakistan has formulated a comprehensive National Action Plan against terrorism.”

He called for strengthening bilateral ties between Pakistan and Kazakhstan through enhanced cooperation in diverse areas – particularly trade, energy and infrastructure connectivity – for the mutual benefit of the two countries. “There is a bigger scope for trade in textile and cotton products, pharmaceuticals, food items, engineering equipment and machinery, and construction enterprises.”

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Nawaz said Gwadar and Karachi ports provided the shortest sea route for Central Asian Republics. “Pakistan is eager to see a prosperous Central Asia with all countries connected by rail, road and air links and generating business.”

He said that despite enormous economic complementarities, bilateral trade between the two countries was below the actual potential. “The visa policy needs to be liberalised to gain maximum advantages in bilateral trade.” Nawaz also told Massimov that Kazakhstan could help Pakistan meet its energy requirements. He said Pakistan viewed Kazakhstan as an important state in the region. “Its strategic geographic location and energy resources make it a more attractive and important country.”

Premier Massimov said there was ample room for cooperation in trade and investment between the two countries. He said Kazakhstan would like to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project “as it will provide an alternative route to it for access to sea”.

He also said that with the establishment of transport and infrastructure, trade would get a boost in the region. The Kazakh premier emphasised that preparations be made for the next joint intergovernmental commission meeting to be held in Astana this October.

Three agreements signed

Pakistan and Kazakhstan signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, defence and strategic studies, and training in foreign services. Nawaz and Massimov witnessed the signings.

An MoU between Kazakhstan’s national export and investment agency (Kaznex Invest) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan was signed by Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan and Kaznex Invest Deputy Chairman Meirzhan Maikenov.

The MoU aims at increasing the volume of bilateral trade, investment and technology transfer, as well as at encouraging mutual exchange of information on trade and services and facilitate development of potential trade routes.

The MoU between Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy and Kazakhstan’s Academy of Public Administration was signed by Special Assistant to PM Nawaz on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and the academy’s rector.

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The MoU will help establish and further develop cooperation in training and improving professional skills of diplomats.

The MoU on cooperation in the area of defence and strategic studies between Pakistan’s National Defence University and the Centre for Military Strategic Research in Astana was signed by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Abdul Salik Khan and the centre’s president, Kozy Korpesh Karbazob.

The MoU aims at enhancing academic cooperation between the two institutions through conferences, research and other academic activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2015.