Gilani looks to boost trade with Kazakhstan

KARACHI – Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, along with a trade delegation, is likely to visit Kazakhstan this month, while the two countries have agreed to boost bilateral trade, through various steps discussed in the seventh session of the Pak-Kazakh Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), held on Friday in Islamabad.
This would be Gillani’s second visit to Kazakhstan following his visit last month. Pakistan has already stepped up efforts to enhance trade relations with the landlocked Central Asian Republics in the last couple of years. Visit of the prime minister with selected Pakistani exporters/importers to Kazakhstan would promote bilateral trade – which is currently highly negligible, sources said.
The PM, who is scheduled to visit the foreign country for two days from April 26-27, 2011, would also be accompanied by a delegation of businessmen, traders led by Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), they added. During the forth coming visit, sources said, various agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were also expected to be signed between the two countries.
The two sides, sources claimed, would also check implementation status of the understandings made earlier – one of which was the ‘Quadrilateral Agreement’ to have a land route among Pakistan, China and other Central Asian States. Pakistan was interested to use the proposed land route, which links it with China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. This land route will help enter markets of Central Asia, in addition to it being an alternative way for export to reach the Russian market.
Under the proposed route, sources said, goods from China were to reach the Bishkek market within a short time of eight to ten hours. Pakistan’s goods, which are exported via Shahra-e-Karakoram to China, could easily be exported to the two Central Asian Republics (CARs) and then to the Russian border with comparatively lesser freight cost, sources claimed. The route was important for Pakistan, which enjoys the Quadrilateral Agreement and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, they added.
The FPCCI group, led by Senator Ghulam Ali, would also meet members of Kyrgyzstan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and other local businessmen to seek potential of joint investment and bilateral trade. The visit of PM Gilani was also aimed to increase bilateral trade volume. Interestingly, Pakistan was exporting goods worth a meager $1.0 million, while it was importing around $4.0 million worth goods from the foreign country.
Seventh Pak-Kazakh JMC: Earlier on Friday, the two countries have also agreed to promote cooperation in various economic and technical fields during seventh session of the Pak-Kazakh Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) in Islamabad. The session was co-chaired by Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar and Vice Minister of Transport and Communication of Kazakhstan Azat Bekturov.
According to sources, the two sides have discussed various steps for promotion of trade, agriculture, joint venture in fields of manufacturing/SMEs, petroleum and natural resources, banking and finance, science and education, information technology, health, culture and tourism.