President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took part in the Kazakhstan–Pakistan Business Forum

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Islamabad, Pakistan

In his remarks, the Head of State expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the initiative to organize this important event.

- I regard my first state visit to Pakistan as a turning poin in our bilateral cooperation. We have signed a Joint Declaration that elevates our partnership to the strategic level. Today's business forum has resulted in more than 30 commercial agreements with a total value around 200 million dollars. Going forward, it will serve as a powerful catalyst for further strengthening trade, economic and investment cooperation between our two brotherly nations. Indeed, our partnership has been steadily gaining momentum: last year trade turnover between our countries nearly doubled. Over 200 companies with Pakistani capital already operate in Kazakhstan in construction, agriculture, food processing, industry and many other sectors. Building on this positive trend, we have now set an ambitious yet an achievable goal of increasing our bilateral trade to 1 billion dollars, - noted Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The President stated that he had instructed the Government to intensify engagement between the business communities of the two countries, including through the mechanisms of the Kazakhstan-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission.

- As the largest economy in Central Asia, Kazakhstan continues to drive regional growth and opportunity. Last year, our economy grew by 6.5 percent, taking our GDP beyond USD 300 billion and our per capita GDP beyond USD 15,000. These indicators highlight the resilience of our market and its strong economic performance. We are committed to sustaining this progress, including through further improvements in our institutional frameworks. Our economic strategy is centered on diversifying trade and investment, stimulating innovation, and advancing a knowledge-based development model. The Foreign Investment Council, which I chair personally, reflects our strong commitment to transparency, fairness, and the continuous enhancement of Kazakhstan's business climate. The National Digital Investment Platform, operating on a "one-stop shop" principle, will further simplify processes for both investors and businesses, - he said.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that the Astana International Financial Centre is a leading regional hub for investment, innovation, and corporate services.

- To date, over 5,000 companies from almost 100 countries successfully operate on the platform. I am pleased to note that 11 Pakistani companies are already represented in this dynamic ecosystem. And we hope for many more to join in the near future. Overall, Kazakhstan is committed to providing a stable and transparent investment climate, offering Pakistani businesses clear pathways into our market and the broader region, - stated the President.

According to him, Kazakhstan and Pakistan occupy strategically important geographic positions, with both countries serving as key links in facilitating regional and global connectivity.

- Kazakhstan plays a pivotal role in the heart of Eurasia as a hub for continental trade, handling 85 percent of overland cargo traffic between Europe and China. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor, is now a major boost for Kazakhstan's role as a transcontinental trade hub. We have also developed a unified digital management platform called "Smart Cargo" to coordinate transit flows with greater efficiency. In that vein, I welcome the signing of agreements between our national railways operator "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" and KazPost and Pakistan's National Logistics Corporation and Pakistan Post. We look forward to the next concrete steps to advance multimodal transport solutions and expand mutual access to port infrastructure in both our countries, - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

The President emphasized that both countries, as members of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, are committed to building sustainable and equitable food systems for the entire Islamic world.

- We export over 200 agricultural products to more than 70 countries. Over the past decade, our gross agricultural output has increased 2.5 times. We aim to double this figure by 2030. As we grow as a reliable producer of high quality and environmentally sustainable agricultural goods, we are taking consistent steps to expand our partnerships and build new supply chains both regionally and globally. As such we welcome Pakistani knowledge and capital in this sector. The signing of an agreement with the Almoiz Group to launch a sugar beet processing plant in the Zhetisu region marks a significant step in our cooperation, - stated the President.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that digitalization will be a key driver of future progress in trade and investment cooperation between the countries. He commended the efforts of the Pakistan Government to implement advanced digital solutions.

- His Excellency Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has consistently emphasized the vital role of digital transformation in ensuring the future competitiveness of the Pakistani economy. Kazakhstan shares this forward-looking vision and is convinced of the transformative potential of digital innovation for both our nations. We have set an ambitious goal to become a fully digital nation within the next few years. To achieve this, we have established a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, the first of its kind in our region. We have created the International Center for AI, which serves as a hub for innovation, research, and technological advancement. Alatau city, our flagship urban development project, will provide a comprehensive legal, digital and financial ecosystem. It is designed to attract capital and stimulate sustainable growth across the most innovative and high potential sectors of the economy. Last year, we launched two supercomputers, a significant step towards developing our own large language models and accelerating technological progress in Kazakhstan. These efforts have resulted in the emergence of major IT players, both at the national and global scales. For example, Kazakhstan's InDrive IT platform is well represented across Pakistan. As of 2025, it accounts for more than 60 percent of the Pakistani taxi services market and is the number one app for city travel. I invite our Pakistani partners to leverage our IT and investment frameworks as a gateway to both Kazakhstan's and regional markets, - noted the President.

In conclusion, the Head of State noted that a new stage in the partnership between Kazakhstan and Pakistan opens broad opportunities for the further expansion of cooperation across the full spectrum of the bilateral economic agenda.

In turn, the Prime Minister of Pakistan underscored the importance of today's business forum for deepening bilateral trade, economic, and investment cooperation.

- Today, we agreed to make every effort to increase bilateral trade to USD 1 billion per year over the next two years. We also agreed to do everything within our power to achieve this goal even earlier. I am deeply grateful to my dear brother for the invitation to visit brotherly Kazakhstan this year. I accept this invitation with great pleasure and gratitude. We have decided to establish a bilateral working group tasked with developing a five-year program to expand our shared trade and investment portfolio, - said Shehbaz Sharif.

Following the Kazakhstan-Pakistan Business Forum, more than 30 commercial agreements were signed, with a total value of approximately USD 200 million. The agreements are aimed at expanding cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan in the areas of finance, logistics, industry, energy, the agro-industrial sector, digitalization, and infrastructure.