Kazakh Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin stresses quantum jump in bilateral trade

Celina Ali

Faisalabad: The business community must avail all opportunities to give quantum jump to bilateral trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, said Yerzhan Kistafin, ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Addressing a selected gathering at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he said that both countries were enjoying cordial relations, but the business community must translate these ties into economic terms.

He termed the business-to-business (B2B) contacts brother-to-brother relations and said that it had paved the way to fully exploit the untapped business potential. He said that three cities of Pakistan had already been declared sister cities of Kazakhstan and now Shymkent has been declared sister city of Faisalabad because of their similarities in textile. He urged textile exporters to invest in this city to directly capture the five Eurasian countries including Russia and Belarus.

The ambassador said that an economic zone had been established in Shymkent, which was known for mass production of finished textile products. He said industrialists investing in that economic zone would be exempted from land, property and corporation tax till 2030. He said that various industries including recycling of waste paper, food, pharmaceutical, aluminum and light engineering could also be established in it in addition to textiles.

Responding to a question, Yerzhan said the facility of biometric for visa applicants would be provided in Lahore consulate very soon.

He said that rail links would also be restored between Pakistan and Kazakhstan. He urged the business community to participate in expos to be organised in Kazakhstan to explore business opportunities and establish direct link with their counterparts.

FCCI President Dr Khurram Tariq welcomed the ambassador and said it was the fourth visit of Yerzhan Kistafin to Faisalabad. “He is a very proactive diplomat and has a futuristic vision to promote regional trade,” he added. He said that it was a historic day that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed to declare Faisalabad and Shymkent as sister cities. He termed it a first baby step toward a long journey to give quantum jump to our bilateral trade.

Rao Khalid Mahmood Khan, honorary Consul General of Kazakhstan in Lahore, said that Kazakhstan House was established three years ago to provide visa, culture and tourism facilities to the business community. He said that crime rate in Kazakhstan was zero and cheap electricity and gas was available in abundance hence Pakistani industrialists should relocate their units to Shymkent from where they could export their surplus products to the Central Asian countries.

Vice President FCCI Haji Muhammad Aslam Bhalli, Muzammil Sultan, Madam Nighat Shahid, Chaudhry Talat Mahmood, Haji Muhammad Abid, Muhammad Azhar Chaudhary, Shafique Hussain Shah, Mian Muhammad Tayyab, Sanaullah Niazi, Shahid Mumtaz Bajwa, Ashfaq Ashraf, Rana Ikram Ullah and Malik Manzoor Maqbool participated in the question-answer session.

Senior Vice President FCCI Dr Sajjad Arshad offered vote of thanks while President Dr Khurram Tariq presented FCCI shields to Mr. Yerzhan Kistafin and Rao Khalid Mehmood Khan.

The ambassador of Kazakhstan also presented a shield and traditional coat of his country to President Dr Khurram Tariq.

Later, Yerzhan Kistafin also recorded his impressions in the FCCI Visitor’s Book.