Kazakhstan President to visit Pakistan, sign $8bn Rail and Connectivity Deals
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to visit Pakistan on February 3, where the two countries are set to sign major agreements worth around $8 billion in railway connectivity, communications, and defence cooperation.
Officials said the visit follows months of diplomatic engagement led by Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, aimed at strengthening regional economic links between Central Asia and South Asia.
During the visit, Pakistan and Kazakhstan will sign a landmark $7 billion memorandum of understanding for a rail connectivity project linking Central Asia with Pakistan. The three-year project will connect Karachi Port to Kazakhstan via Chaman, passing through Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. The initiative is designed to boost trade, transit, and economic integration across the region.
President Tokayev, a former prime minister and foreign minister, has overseen wide-ranging political, economic, and constitutional reforms in Kazakhstan, accelerating development in infrastructure, information technology, and artificial intelligence.
Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest economy and the world’s ninth-largest Muslim-majority country by land area, is rich in oil, gas, and uranium resources. In 2025, the country exported approximately $46 billion worth of petroleum, with total exports reaching $80 billion and overall foreign trade standing at $129 billion.
The country gained independence from the Soviet Union in December 1992 and has since focused on economic development after decades of nuclear testing in its territory, which left millions affected by radiation exposure.
Officials say the upcoming visit is expected to mark a milestone in Pakistan–Kazakhstan relations, opening new opportunities in trade, investment, connectivity, tourism, and youth cooperation.
