Kazakhstan has sent several trucks on a new trade route to Pakistan through Afghanistan in a pilot mode as part of a recently launched project, Kairat Torebayev, Vice Minister of Trade and Integration, said at a July 31 press briefing, reported Kazinform.
According to Torebayev, Kazakhstan is currently negotiating with National Logistics Cell, a Pakistani company, which will safely ensure trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
“The cargo from Kazakhstan to Pakistan and back travels 4,000 kilometers. It is not such a long distance in terms of regional development,” he said.
The minister noted that Kazakhstan will continue its cooperation with Uzbekistan to supply flour and grain to Afghanistan.
He also mentioned an agreement on a 30% discount on the transit of goods through the territory of Turkmenistan in the direction of Afghanistan.
As a bridge connecting Central Asia, India, and the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan allows Kazakhstan to gain access to Pakistan’s seaports of Karachi and Gwadar, then to India, the Middle East, and Africa.
Kazakhstan will host the first Kazakh-Afghan business forum on Aug. 3 in Astana focused on developing trade and economic relations with Afghanistan.