Pakistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to call the 7th session of Pak-Kazakh Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) on April 15, 2011. The decision was made in the meeting held on Friday between Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Privatisation, Water & Power and Bakhitbek Shabarbayev Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan.
The 14-member Kazakh delegation will arrive at Islamabad to participate in the JMC meeting. Both sides will review the implementation of bilateral trade, Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), formation of Joint Business Council (JBC) and memorandum on mutual co-operation between National Agency on export and investment 'KAZNEX INVEST" and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
Meanwhile, Ministry of Commerce asked the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to examine trade opportunities in Kazakhstan and sought proposals from the authority for enhancing bilateral trade that would be taken up in the forthcoming 7th session of the JMC.
Sources said that both the countries, besides discussing the implementation status of the trade agreements signed between the two countries in previous sessions, would also examine new ways of trade relations in the upcoming session. This session would be held after a break of two years. The 6th session was held in Astana on 18-20 April 2007. In this session both countries had signed protocol to enhance co-operation in the field of trade, economic, science and technology, education, communications, environment, tourism and water and power sectors.
The 7th session is going to be held at a time when Pakistan needs assistance and world's help to rehabilitate millions of displaced persons after the devastating floods. To enhance trade relations, the country has also signed "Quadrantal Agreement" with China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to make a land route linking the four countries. Sources said that while the neighbouring countries like India and Iran are deprived of road link with the Central Asian states, Pakistan was in a position to exploit Gwadar and Port Qasim facilities through Indus Highway and Karakoram Highway to have trade link with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan through China.