ISLAMABAD – Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, disclosed Pakistan’s keen interest in importing energy resources from Kazakhstan, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in enhancing bilateral trade relations, especially in the energy sector.

According to Trend News Agency, Ambassador Kistafin, in a recent interview, outlined the continuous demand from Pakistan for Kazakh coal, oil, petroleum products, and gas. The primary challenge, he noted, is the logistics involved in transporting these resources across multiple countries. “The main issue we face is logistics. We are closely monitoring the development of regional projects like TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) and CASA-1000 (aimed at connecting Central Asia’s energy systems with South Asia),” Kistafin stated.

Kistafin further explained the regional dynamics affecting the collaboration, emphasizing the need for robust transport and logistics infrastructure to facilitate the efficient delivery of energy resources. The ambassador shared insights into successful pilot projects that could pave the way for more extensive cooperation. “In May, we completed our first multimodal shipment from Northern Kazakhstan to Dubai via the Karachi seaport in Pakistan. This was achieved in partnership with NLC. Our next project, in collaboration with TCS, involved transporting pharmaceutical products from Karachi to Baku through the Aktau seaport in Kazakhstan,” he remarked.

These initiatives demonstrated the viability of the Trans-Afghan and Trans-Pakistan routes, which are considered optimal given the current regional conditions, including the dynamics of the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. “Our goal now is to enhance these routes and develop logistics further,” the ambassador added.

Ambassador Kistafin also highlighted the potential for Kazakhstan and Pakistan to not only engage directly but to become significant players in transit logistics, accessing markets in Africa, the Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asia. “This opens up entirely new horizons for cooperation not just with Pakistan but with other continents and regions. Thus, we prioritize the development of transport and logistics cooperation,” he concluded, painting a broad canvas for future collaboration between the two nations.