ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday warmly received Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at his official residence, marking the start of high-level engagements during the latter’s two-day official visit to Pakistan.
Upon arrival, President Tokayev was accorded a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out contingent of the armed forces.
The Kazakh president arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday as Islamabad and Astana seek to further strengthen bilateral relations. The two countries enjoy friendly diplomatic ties, with Kazakhstan emerging as Pakistan’s leading export destination among Central Asian states.
President Tokayev is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior cabinet members and top government officials. Footage shared by his office showed major roads in Islamabad decorated with Kazakhstan’s national flags to welcome the visiting dignitary.
Earlier, the President’s Secretariat announced that President Asif Ali Zardari would confer the Nishan-i-Pakistan — the country’s highest civilian award — on the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the latter expected to visit Pakistan later this month.
According to the Foreign Office, President Tokayev is scheduled to hold meetings with President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in addition to addressing the Pakistan–Kazakhstan Business Forum.
The Foreign Office noted that the visit provides “an important and timely opportunity” for both sides to conduct a comprehensive review of bilateral relations. Discussions are expected to focus on expanding cooperation in trade, logistics, regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, as well as enhancing collaboration at regional and international forums.
The visit is being viewed as mutually beneficial. For Pakistan, it supports efforts to position the country as a key land bridge between Central and South Asia and beyond, while for Kazakhstan it offers an opportunity to diversify trade routes amid ongoing geopolitical turbulence in Eurasia following the Russia-Ukraine conflict.