QUETTA: The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Islamabad, Yerjan Kustafin, said on Thursday that his country wants long-term and sustainable trade relations with Pakistan.

The business communities of both countries should take advantage of existing investment opportunities and play their role in further strengthening bilateral trade ties, the Kazakh envoy said.

During his visit to the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Ambassador Kustafin met with the acting Balochistan Governor, Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, and the business leaders of the province.

He said the Kazakh embassy would process visa applications sent through the QCCI on a priority basis and would issue visas to the businesspeople without any delay. “Whether it is trade and industry or education, we will cooperate with Pakistan as much as possible,” he said, adding that there was no dearth of potential in Balochistan.

He said priority would be given to the suggestions and opinions of the officials and members of QCCI for increasing trade between both countries.

The Kazakhstan envoy said that it was his first visit to Balochistan province, during which he was given a warm welcome and an opportunity to meet business leaders and government officials.

He said that investors from Pakistan and Kazakhstan would have to play their part in further strengthening bilateral trade relations by taking advantage of the investment opportunities available in both countries. He said that Kazakhstan has educational, tourism, and business opportunities and he wants to further develop economic cooperation through mutual contacts.

He invited officials and business leaders to visit Kazakhstan and said that he wanted the business delegations of the two countries to know about the existing investment opportunities and to scientifically understand the existing opportunities in both countries.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2022