National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser Friday said that huge economic potential existed between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, which needed to be harnessed to promote cooperation in socioeconomic sectors between the two brotherly countries for mutual benefit.
The speaker expressed these views, while talking to Ambassador of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin, who met with him at the Parliament House. He said that the two countries had enormous opportunities to promote cooperation in trade, energy, tourism, agriculture and other sectors.
The NA speaker said that the trade volume between the two countries did not commensurate the opportunities in both countries, therefore, it needed to be improved.
He said that Kazakhstan's role in regional peace and stability was of utmost importance. Referring to the investment opportunities in Pakistan, the National Assembly speaker said that the present government had introduced pro-investment policies in the country.
He said that the visa policy for the business community intending to visit Pakistan had been relaxed and visa issuance had been facilitated on arrival. The NA speaker said that Kazakh investors could take benefit of those facilities and invest in Pakistan.
Establishing air links between capitals of both the courtiers would also play a significant role in improving our economic and trade volume. The NA speaker expressed his desire to further strengthen bilateral relations through promoting parliamentary and commercial cooperation.
He also stressed the need to establish air links between both the capitals for fully realizing that potential. Qaiser said that parliamentary diplomacy could play an important role in expanding cooperation between the two countries.
Stressing the need for closer ties between the two countries' parliaments, he said that the parliamentarians of both the countries could play an important role in furthering bilateral relations. He told the ambassador that the Pak-Kazakh Friendship Group in the National Assembly could play a vital role in promoting relations between the two countries' parliaments.
Qaiser said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan shared commonality of views on regional and international issues and had always supported each other on global forums.
The Kazakhstan Ambassador, Akan Rakhmetullin thanked the speaker, saying that Pakistan was an important country in the region and Kazakhstan attached great importance to its friendly relations with Pakistan.
He said that his government wanted to promote cooperation with Pakistan in the all sectors of economy. Rakhmetullin appreciated Pakistan's role in promoting development and prosperity in the region and for establishing peace and security.
He agreed with the speaker's proposal to promote relations between the two countries' parliaments, saying parliamentary diplomacy could play a key role in bringing the two nations closer. Rakhmetullin further said that direct air connectivity between Islamabad and Almaty could promote trade and tourism in both the countries.