Pakistan, Kazakhstan Set to Finalize Gwadar Port Access Agreement
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Kazakhstan are close to signing a landmark agreement granting Kazakhstan access to Gwadar Port, with the deal expected during the Kazakh President’s visit in November.
A high-level Kazakh delegation will visit Islamabad in the second week of September to finalize the agreement. While Kazakhstan initially sought to establish a goods terminal at Karachi Port for exports to the EU and the US, Pakistan aims to redirect the initiative to Gwadar, positioning it as a key transit hub for Central Asia.
Maritime Cooperation Discussions
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, met with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry to explore expanding bilateral cooperation in the maritime sector. Both sides emphasized leveraging Pakistan’s strategic port infrastructure to boost trade connectivity.
The federal minister proposed joint ventures at Karachi and Gwadar ports, highlighting the potential of the Gwadar Free Zone for economic partnerships. He also discussed forming a consortium with Central Asian states to strengthen regional trade ties and develop Pakistan’s maritime sector.
Ambassador Kistafin expressed Kazakhstan’s eagerness to use Pakistani ports as transit hubs for Astana and the wider Central Asian region. He confirmed that a ministerial-level delegation, led by Kazakhstan’s communication and maritime affairs minister, will soon visit Pakistan for detailed discussions on trade and logistics.
The federal minister stressed the importance of Pakistani ports as gateways for landlocked Central Asian countries, providing access to markets in the Persian Gulf, Africa, and Southeast Asia. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to transforming its maritime sector into a regional trade hub through innovation and international partnerships.
