Kazakhstan and Pakistan have taken another step toward deepening economic cooperation by signing a protocol that formalizes previously reached agreements and sets out clear mechanisms for their implementation.

The countries set an ambitious goal to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion in the medium term, signaling a push to elevate economic ties to a new strategic level, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

The issue was discussed in Islamabad during a bilateral meeting between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev and Pakistan’s Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan.

Officials noted that bilateral trade nearly doubled in 2025, reaching $105.6 million, reflecting growing momentum in economic cooperation. However, both sides stressed the need to move beyond fragmented initiatives toward a systematic mechanism for implementing agreements.

Kazakhstan proposed focusing on sectors with high export potential, including agribusiness and food processing, chemicals and petrochemicals, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, and pharmaceuticals. To ensure practical implementation, key operators were identified as QazTrade and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), which will support businesses and develop direct business-to-business (B2B) contacts.

The Pakistani side stressed significance of cooperation with Kazakhstan, noting that the country is the largest economy in Central Asia and Pakistan’s main export market in the region.

Following the talks, the two sides signed a protocol formalizing the agreements reached and outlining mechanisms for their implementation, underscoring shared intentions to significantly deepen trade and economic partnership.