Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Tourism Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan hosted a farewell dinner on Wednesday for Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin and Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Khazar Farhadov, who are completing their diplomatic assignments in the country.
The gathering, hosted by Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, CEO of The Centaurus Mall, and Dr Rashid Ilyas Khan, President of The Centaurus Mall, brought together Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, diplomats, business leaders and other prominent figures.
Speaking at the dinner, Sardar Yasir said Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan had considerable scope to expand cooperation in tourism, trade and cultural exchanges, describing these areas as important avenues for building on the countries’ “brotherly and historic” relations.
He said Pakistan could derive greater economic and cultural benefits from closer engagement with the two Central Asian and Caucasus countries, particularly by expanding tourism links, facilitating trade and encouraging greater people-to-people contact.
Sardar Yasir also acknowledged the contribution of the two ambassadors during their respective tenures in Pakistan, saying their diplomatic efforts had helped strengthen bilateral relations and deepen engagement between Islamabad, Astana and Baku.
Dr Rashid Ilyas Khan extended his best wishes to the outgoing envoys for their future assignments and commended their contribution to Pakistan’s relations with their respective countries.
The two ambassadors thanked Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan and Dr Rashid Ilyas Khan for hosting the farewell and for their warm hospitality. They expressed appreciation for their time in Pakistan and recalled their association with the country with warmth.
The dinner served as a farewell to the two diplomats while also bringing together the diplomatic and business communities to highlight opportunities for stronger economic, tourism and cultural engagement between Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
