New Horizons of Kazakhstan-Pakistan Cooperation at the Provincial Level of Punjab

Lahore, May 21-23, 2025 –Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, made a working trip to Lahore, where he held a series of meetings with officials, business leaders, academic representatives, sports federations of Pakistan and also visited the orphanage of the charitable foundation named after Abdul Alim Khan.

During his visit, Ambassador Kistafin met with the Minister of Trade and Industry of Punjab, Shafay Hussain. The two sides discussed the prospects for further expansion of cooperation and the search for new directions for establishing business ties with Kazakhstan. The Minister spoke about the ongoing work of the province, stressed the interest in strengthening and diversifying relations with Kazakhstani entrepreneurs.

At a meeting with the senior management of Fauji foods ltd, led by Managing Director Ali Awan, both parties discussed potential areas for commercial collaboration. The Ambassador also toured one of the production sites of Fresh n Freeze, where he was briefed on manufacturing processes and the company’s product portfolio. The Ambassador informed Pakistani partners about the recent establishment of a bilateral Joint Working Group on Agriculture, aimed at fostering strategic partnerships in the agricultural sector.

During negotiations with the President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mian Abuzar Shad, Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin announced the signing of a memorandum on the establishment of twinning relations between the cities of Turkestan and Lahore. He proposed to establish direct linkages between the business communities and Chambers of Commerce of the two cities.

1. A. Shad expressed his strong interest in deepening cooperation and conveyed his intention to lead a business delegation to Kazakhstan in the near future.

The Ambassador also met with academic leaders, including Moeed Wasim Yusuf, Head of Beaconhouse National University and Muhammad Ali, Vice-Rector of Punjab University. The parties commended the successful organization of the first Kazakhstan-Pakistan University Forum and the “Study in Kazakhstan” education fair held on April 28. They highlighted the growing potential for expanded academic cooperation between higher education institutions of both countries.

Engagements with the leadership of the National Olympic Committee and the Boxing and Kabaddi Federations of Pakistan underscored mutual interest in establishing institutional links, exchanging expertise, and organizing joint training camps in the field of sports.

As part of his visit, Ambassador Kistafin toured the “Lake view City” construction megaproject and held discussions with Gohar Ejaz, Chairman of the Ejaz Group, former Federal Minister of Internal, Trade, Industry and Manufacturing. The two sides exchanged views on advancing trade, economic, and investment projects.

Concluding his visit, the Ambassador paid a visit to the Apna Ghar orphanage, operated by the charitable foundation named after Abdul Aleem Khan, where he met with children and teachers of the institution.