Peace in Afghanistan is indispensable for regional peace and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan
\n Islamabad
\nMUSLIM Institute organized a special lecture on Kazakhstan at MUSLIM Institute Islamabad. Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin delivered the special lecture. Chairman MUSLIM Institute & Dewan of Junagadh State Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Ali also addressed the audience.
\nAmbassador of Kazakhstan stressed the need to further strengthen people to people contacts cordial relations between the two brotherly countries, importance of Afghanistan for regional peace, and socio-economic stability of the region. Being a country rich in natural resource, Kazakhstan is ready to share its resources with Pakistan, Ambassador emphasized.
\nKazakhstan is the linchpin of China\u2019s Belt and Road initiative due to its geographical location and vast natural resources. Similarly, Chain-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of BRI that has huge potential for regional economic integration.
\nPakistan provides a natural link to connect the Eurasian heartland with the Arabian Sea and South Asia. At the inter-regional and intra-regional level, Pakistan can offer the critical land routes and connectivity for mutually beneficial trade and energy transaction. Therefore, rigorous commercial diplomacy or economic diplomacy is the need of the hour.
\nThough there is a huge potential of cooperation in the field of energy such as oil and gas, civil nuclear cooperation and renewable energy but lack of direct geographical communications between both countries hamper bilateral economic and trade cooperation and coordination. Therefore, \u201cinnovative plans\u201d should be focused to enhance connectivity.
\nThe reconstruction and renovation of the Karakoram Highway in the 2000s greatly expanded Pakistan\u2019s access to western China. Karakoram Highway could be expanded which may be utilized to enhance regional connectivity.
\nAnother option could be the potential links between Islamabad and Astana through the connection of railways such as Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran and Pakistan-Iran-Turkey. Kazakhstan\u2019s New Economic Policy \u2018Nurly Zhol\u2019 to develop and modernize roads, railways, ports Pakistan\u2019s CPEC for the up-gradation and dualization of ML-1 are also converging.
\nThe Pakistan-Iran-Turkey railway route has further enhanced the possibility of the realization of this plan. Strong political commitments and inclusion of private sectors could be beneficial for the desired goals of socio-economic integration and greater regional connectivity. Moreover, both states can work closely to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan.
\nSecurity and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has proved one of the major impediments to geographical connectivity and economic integration. Stability in Afghanistan after the US-withdrawal could be a \u201cgame changer\u201d for the rest of the region. Both countries could cooperate and coordinate to avert the looming worst humanitarian crises in Afghanistan.
\nFor this purpose, both countries could utilize regional and international platforms such as Shanghai cooperation organization (SCO), Organization of Islamic cooperation (OIC) and United Nations. Ambassador hoped that both the states can work together to enhance strategic cooperation in the field of Anti-insurgency, counter-terrorism, military training, joint military exercises etc.
\nExchange of modern techniques could foster their military cooperation. People from different walks of life participated the event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Peace in Afghanistan is indispensable for regional peace and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan Islamabad MUSLIM Institute organized a special lecture on Kazakhstan at MUSLIM Institute Islamabad. Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin delivered the special lecture. Chairman MUSLIM Institute & Dewan of Junagadh State Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Ali also addressed the audience. Ambassador of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[3444,3445,2633,20],"class_list":{"0":"post-241209","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-bilateral-trade","9":"tag-huge-potential","10":"tag-kazakhstan","11":"tag-pakistan"},"yoast_head":"\n