Islamabad, February 12, 2026: The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in partnership with the Embassy of Kazakhstan, organized a high-level conference titled “Pakistan–Kazakhstan Relations: Post-Visit Reflections and Pathways for Strategic Cooperation” at the Movenpick Hotel, Islamabad. The event followed the historic state visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Pakistan earlier this month, which formally elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.
The conference brought together senior diplomats, policymakers, scholars, and experts from both countries to explore deeper cooperation in connectivity, trade, energy, technology, and regional security.
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman of ISSI’s Board of Governors, described Pakistan–Kazakhstan relations as rooted in shared history, cultural affinity, and mutual respect. He hailed the February 2026 visit as a milestone upgrading ties to a strategic partnership, noting alignment on key regional and international issues, including Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan. He also highlighted untapped potential in trade, investment, energy, agriculture, IT, education, and people-to-people exchanges, and announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ISSI and Kazakhstan’s Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, described the presidential visit as opening a “new chapter” in bilateral relations, emphasizing the joint strategic partnership declaration and plans for expanded cultural, academic, scientific, and sports cooperation. He highlighted growing business engagement, prospective direct flights, trans-Afghan railway connectivity, and diversified transport corridors linking Eurasia with South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Dr. Askhat Kessikbayev, Vice President of the Turkic Academy, underscored civilizational ties and called for joint research in economic development, sustainability, water security, and regional integration. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator-General of OIC-COMSTECH, praised Kazakhstan’s investments in higher education and science, urging sustained academic collaboration with Pakistan.
Chief Guest Fahad Haroon, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Digital Media, highlighted the importance of institutional follow-up, sustained dialogue, and informed public discourse to translate strategic intent into long-term gains.
The first working session, moderated by Dr. Talat Shabbir (ISSI), focused on strategic dialogue and connectivity. Hasan Ali Zaigham, Director General for Central Asia and ECO at Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the visit as a historic milestone and outlined a five-year trade roadmap and transit trade agreement, estimating Pakistan’s export potential to Kazakhstan at $1.7 billion. Sergey Savelyev of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Policy Research Institute welcomed institutional cooperation and described the Joint Declaration as a landmark covering politics, security, trade, transport, education, and culture. Ambassador Moin ul Haque highlighted connectivity through CPEC, regional energy projects, multimodal integration, regulatory harmonization, and engagement with Afghanistan, while Dr. Yasar Ayaz of Pakistan’s National Center of Artificial Intelligence proposed joint research initiatives in AI, robotics, and advanced imaging technologies.
The second session, moderated by Dr. Amina Khan (ISSI), focused on economic integration and people-to-people ties. Discussions emphasized transport corridors, joint ventures, visa facilitation, SME collaboration, tourism, and academic exchanges as key drivers of sustainable partnership.
In the concluding session, former Federal Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan stressed moving from conceptual agreements to practical implementation across political dialogue, trade, transport, education, science, climate cooperation, and regional coordination. He called for focus on digital connectivity, financial integration, youth engagement, and enhanced security cooperation.
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, in his closing remarks, described the joint declaration and MoUs as a practical roadmap, highlighting continued cooperation on regional security, counterterrorism, Afghanistan, and Kashmir. The conference concluded with a shared commitment to sustained engagement, institutional collaboration, and follow-up initiatives to fully realize the objectives of the newly established strategic partnership.
