ASTANA – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reached Astana to attend twin Summits of SCO Council of Heads of State and SCO plus.
He was received by Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and others at the Nur Sultan Nazarbayev International Airport.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan would continue to pursue enhanced engagement with Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, in line with its “Vision Central Asia” policy.
Talking to Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda in Dushanbe, he stressed that enhanced regional connectivity and integration would remain key components for sustainable and long term socio-economic development of the region.
Shehbaz Sharif underscored the importance of regional ties in the South and Central Asian region. He invited Tajikistan to use Karachi port for transit trade.
The Prime Minister said that the regional connectivity can be further promoted by the construction of rail tracks and roads between the two countries.
He suggested that Pakistan host a regional connectivity summit to provide trade corridors to Central Asian countries and promote regional trade.
Hailing the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement as a historic moment in bilateral ties, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that this elevation of the relationship between the two countries would open up new areas of mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
The Prime Minister welcomed the recent commencement of international flights between Pakistan and Tajikistan and emphasized the importance of increasing the number of these flights.
He said that religious and cultural values are common between the Tajik and Pakistani people and emphasized the need for further expansion of social relations between the two countries.
The Prime Minister also reiterated the need for enhanced cooperation in the fields of culture, education, sports, and people to people contacts.
