Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Wednesday signed 37 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in several sectors, including petroleum, mining, and maritime affairs.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is on a two-day visit.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz warmly welcomed President Tokayev at his official residence.

President Tokayev was presented with a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of the armed forces following his arrival.

The two leaders will hold bilateral and delegation-level talks and are expected to sign agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in several sectors.

The Kazakh president arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a two-day official visit as the two nations seek to further bolster bilateral ties.

The two countries maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with Kazakhstan being Pakistan’s top export destination among Central Asian countries.

Tokayev is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior cabinet ministers and other high-ranking officials. A video shared by his office showed the streets in Islamabad adorned with Kazakhstan’s national flag.

FM Dar welcomes Tokayev

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also met with President Tokayev and welcomed him to Pakistan, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

During the meeting, Dar “underscored Pakistan’s appreciation for the growing momentum of high-level political exchanges.”

The foreign minister “reaffirmed the shared commitment to expand bilateral cooperation across political, economic, & people-to-people domains, and to work together for durable peace, stability, and development in the region,” FO said.

Agreement to deepen trade, connectivity and investment cooperation

Separately, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan held a comprehensive bilateral meeting with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shaqqaliev, at the Ministry of Commerce in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The two sides explored avenues for expanding economic cooperation, connectivity and investment, according to a press release.

“Both sides agreed that improved rail, road and multimodal connectivity is fundamental to strengthening Pakistan–Kazakhstan trade and enabling sustainable, long-term economic engagement,” the statement said.

The Kazakh minister highlighted the strategic importance of developing major infrastructure projects, particularly railway and road corridors. He emphasised Kazakhstan’s vision of becoming a regional hub connecting Central Asia with South Asia, China, Europe and the Global South, including Pakistan’s ports, the statement added.

Meanwhile, Jam Kamal Khan said that improved transit routes would not only benefit Pakistan and Kazakhstan but also open broader opportunities for regional and global trade.

“Both ministers discussed cooperation in priority sectors, including agriculture and food security, pharmaceuticals, textiles, sports goods, leather products, mining and minerals, energy, and infrastructure development,” the statement said.

The meeting also reviewed the need for structured business-to-business (B2B) engagement. It was agreed to work towards finalising a framework document outlining priority sectors, trade targets and a roadmap of activities, including trade missions, exhibitions and exchange of delegations.

“Both ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to transforming Pakistan–Kazakhstan economic relations from potential to performance,” the statement added.

They expressed confidence that sustained institutional coordination and private-sector engagement would significantly enhance bilateral trade and investment in the coming years.

‘Important and timely opportunity’

In a handout issued earlier on Tuesday, the President’s Secretariat said that President Zardari will confer the Nishan-i-Pakistan, the country’s highest civilian award, on the Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan presidents; the latter is expected to visit the country sometime this month.

According to the Foreign Office (FO), President Tokayev is expected to hold meetings with President Zardari and PM Shehbaz, as well as address the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum.

President Tokayev’s visit will provide Islamabad and Astana “an important and timely opportunity to undertake a comprehensive review” of bilateral relations, the FO had highlighted.

It added that the two sides will discuss new avenues for broadening cooperation, particularly in trade, logistics, regional connectivity and people-to-people contacts, as well as explore collaboration at regional and international forums.

This visit is seen as a win-win situation by both countries. For Pakistan, it will help Islamabad position itself as a land bridge between Central and South Asia and beyond. For Kazakhstan, it will help diversify its international trade amid turbulence in Eurasia in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.