National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan enjoy cordial relations based on strong foundation of religion, brotherhood, history and culture.

Expressing the desire for strengthening the bilateral relations, Asad Qaiser said that Pakistan wanted to further expand existing bilateral relations through enhanced parliamentary and economic cooperation.

The Speaker NA expressed these views while talking to the Ambassador of Kazakhstan Mr. Barlybay Sadykov who called on him at Parliament House on Tuesday.

While stressing the need for socio-economic cooperation between two brotherly counties, Asad Qaiser said that there were vast opportunities for cooperation in trade, defense, tourism, agriculture and other socio-economic spheres in both countries which can be utilized for the best interests of both nations.

Referring the vast opportunity of investment in Pakistan, he said that incumbent government has introduced investment friendly policies in the country by which investors from Kazakhstan can be benefited.

Stressing the need for close contacts between the parliaments of both the countries Asad Qaiser said that the Parliamentarians can play an important role to strengthen bilateral relations.

The NA speaker informed the Ambassador that Pak-Kazakhs Parliamentary Friendship Group has been formulated in the National Assembly of Pakistan to enhance the contacts between the Parliaments of both countries and expressed his desire that same practice should be reciprocated by the Parliament of Kazakhstan.

He termed the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a game changer project and expressed the hope that it will generate vast opportunities of employment and development in the region. He asked the Central Asian countries to take advantage from this project.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan Barlybay Sadykov thanked the Speaker for his kind remarks and said that Pakistan is an important country of the region and Kazakhstan values high its relations with Pakistan.

The Kazak Ambassador said that his government wanted to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in diverse fields. He appreciated Pakistan’s role for promoting peace and stability in the region. He agreed with the proposal of the Speaker to enhance contacts in Parliaments of both countries, saying that parliamentary friendship group can play an important role in bringing together both the nations.

The Ambassador extended the invitation to attend the Euro Asia Speakers’ Conference on which the Speaker expressed his willingness to attend the conference.