ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Wednesday agreed to establish a strategic partnership, signed 37 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and set a target of raising bilateral trade to $1 billion within a year, as the two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and physical connectivity amid a push for greater regional integration.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who arrived in Islamabad a day earlier on an official visit.

Landlocked Kazakhstan is seeking access to global maritime trade through Pakistan’s ports on the Arabian Sea, while Islamabad has been positioning itself as a regional transit hub linking Central Asia with South Asia, the Middle East and beyond.

“We had very useful and productive meetings since morning, and just now we have had this signing ceremony of 37 MOUs,” Sharif said while addressing the gathering at the PM House, expressing hope that the understandings would soon be converted into binding agreements and implemented.

The two countries agreed to expand cooperation across transport and logistics, including rail, road and multimodal corridors, with Sharif offering Kazakhstan access to Pakistan’s transit infrastructure and seaports as part of broader efforts to enhance regional connectivity through Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Sharif acknowledged that current bilateral trade levels remained well below potential.

“Unfortunately, our trade volume is just meager $250 million during the last year,” he said. “This does not reflect not only the strength of our friendship, but also the potential of the two countries ... Let us make a commitment that we will take up our trade volume to $1 billion in the next one year.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Tokayev described Pakistan as a key partner for Kazakhstan.

“Pakistan is a reliable and important partner of Kazakhstan in South Asia and beyond,” he said. “Our peoples are united by centuries-old ties rooted in the legacy of the Great Silk Road, as well as by deep cultural and spiritual affinity.”

Beyond connectivity, the MOUs cover cooperation in energy, agriculture, mining and minerals, pharmaceuticals, defense production, digital technologies and artificial intelligence.

The two sides also agreed to promote joint ventures, particularly in food processing, agriculture value chains and industrial production.

Investment cooperation featured prominently, including the launch of a joint investment platform involving Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth entities and Pakistani partners to identify bankable projects in mining, energy and infrastructure.

The talks also addressed collaboration in education, science and culture, with both sides agreeing to expand academic exchanges, institutional linkages between universities and people-to-people contacts through cultural and sporting initiatives.

This is the first visit of a Kazakhstan president to Pakistan in 23 years.

The two countries are also scheduled to hold the joint business forum in which more than 250 companies from both sides will come together and are expected to sign commercial agreements.