An Exclusive with Ambassador H.E. Yerzhan Kistafin on Strengthening Ties in Diplomacy, Trade, Education, and Connectivity
This conversation is part of a special series by The Diplomatic Insight and our digital platform DiploTV, through which we engage with distinguished leaders from international organizations, government, and the development sector to spotlight individuals and institutions advancing Pakistan’s global engagements and partnerships.
We are pleased to present this exclusive interview with H.E. Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, his distinguished diplomatic service continues to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
The Republic of Kazakhstan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan share a growing and forward-looking relationship founded on mutual respect, shared aspirations, and cooperation across diverse sectors including diplomacy, education, trade, and regional connectivity. This feature not only celebrates this deepening friendship but also reflects on the evolving nature of Kazakhstan-Pakistan ties in today’s dynamic geopolitical landscape.
TDI: Your Excellency, to begin with, could you please share a bit about your journey as a diplomat and your experience so far as the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan?
I started my journey back in 2001 when I joined our diplomatic service. Throughout my career, I have served in Brussels, Belgium; in the United States; and in Washington, D.C. In 2021, exactly four years ago, I was appointed by a decree of our President as the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan. Since then, this is now my fifth year in your beautiful country.
TDI: Your Excellency, could you share some of the key activities and initiatives the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Islamabad is currently focusing on to strengthen our bilateral ties?
When it comes to our bilateral cooperation, we are pursuing a multidimensional approach. We are not focusing solely on trade or economic ties but are also emphasizing the revival of cultural connections, people-to-people exchanges, and collaboration in education between our universities and sports diplomacy.
Many developments are taking place. For example, the 13th session of our Intergovernmental Joint Commission was held in Islamabad at the end of last month. Before this, we organized the largest-ever Kazakhstan–Pakistan Business Forum in Karachi.
At the end of last month, we welcomed the largest Kazakh delegation to Pakistan, comprising over 150 representatives from various sectors. This included 10 leading universities, sports federations, regional authorities, and members of the business community. The business forum, attended by over 300 participants, was a great success, resulting in commercial contracts and MoUs worth over 200 million U.S. dollars. This demonstrates the strong potential of our bilateral cooperation, which continues to grow.
Last year, bilateral trade reached 239 million U.S. dollars. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce, Kazakhstan is now Pakistan’s largest trade partner in Central Asia. Looking ahead, we are planning several projects, inshallah.
As mentioned, 10 leading universities from Kazakhstan visited Islamabad. During their visit, we hosted the first-ever Kazakhstan–Pakistan University Forum and an education fair titled “Study in KZ.” Around 12 MoUs were signed between leading universities. It was also agreed to establish a Center for Science and Technology in collaboration with the Kazakh National Technical University named after Qanish Satpayev, among other initiatives.
Sports federations are also expanding cooperation. The Chess Federation of Kazakhstan will open its first international branch in Islamabad. Similarly, the Kazakh Batyr mixed martial arts academy will open its first overseas branch in Islamabad. More broadly, we are establishing the Kazakhstan–Pakistan Sports Center, Dostyk.
Overall, we are building multidimensional cooperation and exploring every area of potential collaboration. As a result of the 13th Intergovernmental Joint Commission, it was agreed to elevate our partnership to a new level.
We are now working with key partners. Just before you arrived, I met delegations from Meezan Bank, TCS, and NLC. We are considering creating a consortium focused on transport and logistics, as connectivity is the backbone of our cooperation.
TDI: How does the Embassy support cultural and educational exchanges between Kazakhstan and Pakistan, including scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students? Are there partnerships between Kazakh and Pakistani universities to promote academic collaboration?
One decision of the Intergovernmental Joint Commission was to establish a joint working group on education. Last week, I met with HEC Chairman Hon. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed thanks to his support, we organized the first-ever Kazakhstan–Pakistan universities forum and the Study in Kyzyl education fair.
Our Minister of Higher Education and Science, HE Mr. Sayasat Nurbek, announced last year plans to open 38 campuses in collaboration with leading universities from the UK, the US, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia, France, Germany, and beyond. The idea is to create a regional education hub delivering high‑quality education not only for Kazakh youth but for the entire region and we invite our brothers and sisters from Pakistan to study at our universities.
For example, under a partnership with Arizona University, graduates receive two diplomas one from the Kazakh university and another from Arizona University. We now have over 1,000 Pakistani students, most of whom study at our medical institutions. Next week, a delegation from one of Kazakhstan’s leading medical universities will visit Pakistan for meetings with PMDC, the HEC, and Shifa University. Then we’ll travel to Lahore to meet with King Edward University and others, strengthening ties between our medical institutions.
We’re also focused on collaboration among Khaydarzhan University, NUST, NUML, and many others, aiming to establish student exchanges and promote faculty exchanges. For instance, online lectures from Kazakhstan for Pakistani youth, and vice versa. And of course, we will provide scholarships: Nazarbayev University alone already hosts more than 70 Pakistani students, and we expect this number to grow exponentially in the coming years.
TDI: Can you explain Kazakhstan’s updated business visa process and its benefits for Pakistani businesspeople? What support does the Embassy provide to Pakistani professionals exploring opportunities in Kazakhstan, and how can they invest there?
You know, the golden visa is mainly focused on foreign investors. For example, if a company or private investor invests over 300,000 U.S. dollars in projects in Kazakhstan, they can receive this visa for 10 years. Regarding bilateral cooperation, we have facilitated the visa process for the business community. Now, if a credible business company approaches our embassy, they can receive a visa within three days with no invitation letter required, just a letter submitted to the embassy.
There are many areas to develop B2B ties. I truly believe the Kazakh business community can learn from Pakistan’s incredible experience, especially in textiles, surgical instruments, sports goods, machinery, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and more.
In mid-June, a delegation from the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce will visit Kazakhstan and participate in an expo in our capital. We are also in touch with the CIMAP Association and negotiating ways to cooperate with surgical instrument manufacturers CIMAP being globally renowned.
In agriculture, Kazakhstan’s climate does not allow us to grow mangoes, guavas, falsas, or other exotic fruits. I would love to see Pakistan’s sweetest mangoes in our grocery stores. Last year, in collaboration with NLC, we organized the first-ever export of Pakistani mangoes to Kazakhstan, and we plan to expand this collaboration to include rice, potatoes, and more.
TDI: Trade between our countries is growing. Which sectors do you see as most promising for future collaboration? Are there any upcoming events or forums to encourage business partnerships between Kazakhstan and Pakistan?
As I mentioned earlier, on April 28 in Karachi, we organized a major business forum with over 300 participants. The Minister of Commerce noted it was the largest-ever business forum organized by Pakistan in Karachi. Following the forum, we arranged visits for our delegation to various facilities, including the Korangi Industrial Zone and textile factories in Karachi.
Now, we are planning another major business forum in Lahore, the capital of one of Pakistan’s most industrially developed provinces. Our goal is to enhance direct interaction between the business communities of both countries.
One of the main challenges we aim to address is the lack of information. Most delegates visiting Karachi were in Pakistan for the first time. When I asked about their impressions, they said it was an eye-opener. They hadn’t realized Pakistan, despite its challenges, has such tremendous potential and highly developed industrial sectors. They said, “We now believe what we see.”
For instance, members of the Kazakh delegation who visited textile factories in Karachi described them as among the best they had seen and expressed strong interest in strengthening collaboration in the textile sector.
Frankly, there are many areas to develop cooperation. As I’ve said, Kazakhstan can learn much from Pakistan’s expertise. At the same time, we are focused on developing our agricultural potential. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized agriculture as a key driver of Kazakhstan’s economic growth, and we would be delighted to welcome Pakistani companies to explore opportunities in this sector.
Beyond agriculture, we are also investing in our textile and pharmaceutical industries. There is immense potential for synergy that would be mutually beneficial. Pakistani investors establishing joint ventures in Kazakhstan would not only benefit our country but also expand their presence in the region and contribute to promoting Pakistan’s soft image abroad.
TDI: Kazakhstan is known for its natural beauty and rich culture. What initiatives are in place to promote tourism from Pakistan? Are there any collaborative efforts to enhance cultural understanding between our nations?
So back in December 2023, we signed an MOU to develop cooperation between our two brotherly nations in tourism. This year, in April, during the Intergovernmental Joint Commission, it was agreed that we will exchange lists of credible, reliable tour operators, and we are going to develop collaboration between our good, you know, credible touristic organizations.
And through such a collaboration, we will be definitely developing our cooperation in tourism in general. What I see is that there is another great potential, because, you know, in Pakistan, you have so many beautiful places as well. And I do believe that our people will be more than happy to visit Pakistan and to see your beauty in Pakistan.
And of course, we would love to invite our Pakistani brothers and sisters to visit Kazakhstan.
You know, I have invited so many people, so many friends. My friends from Pakistan have already visited Kazakhstan. And what they see is that there is a, you know, very promising potential for our cooperation in tourism.
TDI: Given Kazakhstan’s location in Central Asia, how does it plan to enhance regional connectivity, especially with Pakistan? Could you tell us about initiatives like the Astana International Financial Centre and their role in regional development?
You know, Kazakhstan is an integral part of the Central Asian region. Our President stressed that a successful Central Asia means a successful Kazakhstan. If our brothers in the region thrive and succeed, it will positively influence our country.
And vice versa if Kazakhstan achieves well-organized development, whether economic, cultural, or social, it will benefit our brothers in the region as well. We believe regional cooperation is essential, and Kazakhstan must play an active role in regional integration.
“Now, when we talk about cooperation with Pakistan, we’re happy to see that all five Central Asian countries, be it Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, or Kazakhstan, all five Central Asian countries are very much interested in strengthening cooperation with Pakistan.
So the only missing part, I would say, is Afghanistan. This is why we do believe that apart from our Central Asian cooperation, apart from our cooperation between Central Asia and Pakistan, we should be also focused very much on engaging Afghanistan into our regional cooperation.”
When it comes to connectivity between Kazakhstan and Pakistan, in recent years we’ve worked hard to establish it successfully. However, without Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, developing this connectivity would be extremely difficult, still possible, but very challenging.
That’s why we must create a friendly environment and common regional standards to make it easier for our business communities to operate and do business.
We need to simplify procedures and ensure the environment is not only business-friendly but also secure. In the end, this will lead to mutually beneficial cooperation.
TDI: Your Excellency, for Pakistani investors and tourists considering Kazakhstan, what message would you like to convey to encourage them to explore the opportunities your country offers?
“Kazakhstan, during the last three decades, has attracted more than $420 billion in foreign direct investments, which is almost 70 percent of FDIs attracted to the Central Asian region.
Kazakhstan today is the largest economy of Central Asia. Our GDP per capita is $14,000, which means that our people have money to spend. And in general, we are doing quite well.
We are focused very much on diversifying our economy. And in this term, Pakistan has great experience, expertise, and advantage.
And our business people, our entrepreneurs, our government will be more than happy to develop collaboration to establish joint ventures here in Pakistan, in Kazakhstan you know, to strengthen our cooperation and to make it beneficial for our two brotherly societies.”
TDI: Your Excellency, could you share your experience of living in Pakistan, including your impressions of its food, culture, and heritage? What do you like most about the country?
You know, before joining our mission in Islamabad, I had no idea what Pakistan is. It was my first-ever experience visiting your beautiful country, and it was a great honor for me to be part of our diplomatic mission in Islamabad. So, when you ask me about Pakistan, the first thought that comes to my mind is people. Pakistani people, I would say, are the most hospitable nation in the world. And when I say it, I mean it. People are so kind. Whenever I visit different cities and regions of your beautiful country, I always feel very warmly welcomed. It’s such a great emotion, such a great feeling, because it creates this friendly environment.
I try, from my heart, to do something sincerely to strengthen our collaboration. The second thought on my mind when you ask me about Pakistan is your beautiful nature. It’s something, I would say, is outstanding. I have visited so many beautiful areas of your great country.
And then, of course, historical heritage. Whenever I visit your cultural, spiritual capital Lahore or go to Badshahi Mosque, I feel these historic connections, historic roots that we have between our nations.
“And then, of course, when you ask me about cuisine, I must say we have so many things in common. When I eat pulao, we have pulao as well in Kazakhstan, in Central Asia. Then samosa, chapati, paratha we have exactly the same in Kazakhstan. So what I’m saying is that even in terms of cuisines, we have so many things in common.
But the thing I enjoy the most, of course, is Pakistani mango. This is something, you know, it’s a kind of fruit from heaven, I would say, here in Pakistan. I enjoy it a lot. I’m excited and looking forward to the mango season, which will start soon. Yeah, it’s like it’s going to be starting within a few days. So you will get the yummiest mango from Pakistan.”
TDI: Also, Share your remarks about TDI
I must say that Diplomatic Insight is one of the group who have supported me from the very beginning. When I joined our mission in June 2021, dear brother Asif Noor and dear sister Farhat visited me. We discussed possible ways to strengthen collaboration between Kazakhstan and Pakistan, and since then, we have developed an excellent relationship and partnership.
They visited Kazakhstan several times. As I always say, seeing is believing. To advocate for cooperation with my country, you have to visit and see for yourself the real situation on the ground. And this is what they did. They visited Kazakhstan, established good relations, and made friends there.
And in fact, I must say this is a kind of exemplary partnership. This is what we should enjoy when we talk about reviving. I stress reviving, not establishing but reviving brotherly relations between Kazakhstan and Pakistan.
The Diplomatic Insight is a digital and print magazine focusing on diplomacy, defense, and development publishing since 2009.
