Kazakhstan president arrives in Pakistan on 2-day visit
ISLAMABAD: Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a two-day official visit as the two nations seek to bolster bilateral ties further.
The two countries maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with Kazakhstan being Pakistan’s top export destination among Central Asian countries.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar received President Tokayev at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Base.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, a 21-gun salute was presented to the visiting dignitary.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who also welcomed the Kazakh preisdent at Nur Khan Base, later posted on social media platform X: “Honoured to welcome His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on his two-day official visit to Pakistan. He was received at the airport by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“This will be a great visit in terms of strong ties between both countries and we look forward to further strengthening our friendship and bilateral cooperation.”
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.
In a handout issued earlier in the day, 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. Staff Report
