Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, who is leading a ministerial delegation on an official visit to Pakistan, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday.
Welcoming the Kazakh leader on his maiden visit to Pakistan, the Prime Minister extended best wishes to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, recalling their recent interaction in China. He said Pakistan and Kazakhstan enjoy “strong brotherly ties” and both nations are keen to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Shehbaz Sharif underlined Pakistan’s desire to enhance bilateral trade, investment, regional connectivity through air, rail and road links, and promote greater people-to-people exchanges. He noted that Islamabad attaches high importance to the forthcoming visit of the Kazakh President, offering to send a delegation to Astana to finalise pending MoUs and agreements.
The Prime Minister highlighted that regular talks between the two sides in recent months were paving the way for significant accords expected to be signed during President Tokayev’s visit to Islamabad later this year.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Pakistani leadership for the warm welcome and briefed the Prime Minister on his discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar. He expressed confidence that President Tokayev’s upcoming visit would be “historic and successful,” ushering in a new era of relations between the two countries.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, and the Foreign Secretary.