PR Commentary

CWA # 1986
PR Commentary
Pakistan’s Central Asia Boost
Focus on Trade, Defense, Energy and Regional Connectivity
CWA #1977

R. Preetha
26 February 2026

Photo Source: Dawn/PID

In early February, Pakistan hosted the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in back-to-back high-level visits that marked a significant step in Islamabad’s engagement with Central Asia. On 4 February, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Pakistan, the first Kazakh President to visit the country in 23 years, followed on 5 February a two-day official visit by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The visits were described as substantive and result-oriented, leading to the signing of 37 MoUs with Kazakhstan and 28 MoUs with Uzbekistan, alongside commitments to significantly enhance bilateral trade and regional connectivity. President Tokayev said his engagement with the PM was “very substantive and productive.” He added that: “Important intergovernmental documents were adopted, focusing on result-oriented engagement across the full bilateral spectrum.” With respect to Uzbekistan, the two sides signed a protocol aimed at enhancing bilateral trade, building on an earlier agreement to expand trade to USD 2 billion reached during PM Shehbaz’s visit to Tashkent last month. President Mirziyoyev stated that discussions on security, defence, and economic cooperation were held “in a detailed manner.” Both leaders welcomed the operationalisation of the High-Level Strategic Consultative Council to support implementation of agreed decisions.

Four major takeaways from the visits
First, a major jump in bilateral trade relations. A central outcome of the Kazakhstan visit was the commitment to elevate bilateral trade to USD 1 billion within a year. At a joint press conference, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated: “We agreed to elevate our relations to a strategic partnership, enhance bilateral trade to $1 billion, deepen regional connectivity, and expand cooperation across economic, defence, energy, and people-to-people domains.” The two sides signed 37 MoUs spanning petroleum, mining, maritime cooperation, and related sectors. The Pakistan–Kazakhstan Business Forum brought together over 250 companies from both countries to conclude commercial agreements. 

Similarly, during President Mirziyoyev’s visit, the two sides signed a protocol committing to expand bilateral trade to USD 2 billion within five years. The agreement includes the establishment of a joint working group to develop a five-year roadmap identifying priority sectors. Prime Minister Shehbaz noted: “Our two sides signed and exchanged 28 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements and we signed a historic protocol to establish a joint working group to devise a five year roadmap of economic and trade cooperation.” Both sides also expanded the list of goods under the Preferential Trade Agreement and agreed to establish the Pakistan–Uzbekistan Interregional Forum to strengthen business-to-business engagement. 

Second, the visits advanced energy, mining, agriculture, and resource cooperation. Energy and natural resource cooperation made a significant feature in discussions with Kazakhstan. Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasised that Kazakhstan is “blessed with infinite natural resources” and is a leading exporter of petroleum products, oil, gas, and minerals. He compared this with their current bilateral trade volume at “a meagre” USD 250 million, highlighting that it did not reflect potential of the two countries. In this context, future cooperation in energy was discussed as a  “win-win situation.” President Tokayev noted that the two sides exchanged views on the prospects of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI). Agreements were also signed in agriculture to expand trade and establish joint production facilities. With Uzbekistan, cooperation extended to agriculture, mining, and geosciences, alongside ecological and climate-related collaboration with the signing of MoUs in these areas.  

Third, increased cooperation in regional connectivity and transport corridors. Regional connectivity came about as a key theme across both the visits. With Kazakhstan, the two sides agreed to develop the Belarus–Russia–Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan transport corridor to enhance regional connectivity. Prime Minister Shehbaz assured Kazakhstan of full access to Pakistan’s transit infrastructure and seaport facilities, while President Tokayev highlighted that Pakistan could offer “alternative access to international markets,” specifically referencing Karachi and Gwadar ports. The two sides also agreed to explore the resumption of direct air connections. During the Uzbekistan visit, both leaders expressed “total agreement” that the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan rail project would be a game changer for the region. Pakistan expressed its willingness to collaborate on fundraising for the project, subject to feasibility and business planning. 

Fourth, bilateral cooperation in defence, security, AI, and emerging technologies. With Kazakhstan, both sides agreed to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the defence industry. President Tokayev noted that cooperation between security and law enforcement agencies had been developing dynamically in recent times. Both leaders also put forth the importance of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, confirming readiness to jointly advance cooperation in these emerging technology domains. Similarly, with Uzbekistan, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and his Uzbek counterpart, Shukhrat Khalmukhammedov, signed an action plan to strengthen defence collaboration. To facilitate trade and maritime cooperation, both sides concluded an MoU promoting maritime trade and preferential port arrangements at Karachi, Gwadar, and Qasim ports. Additionally, an MoU between Pakistan’s IT Ministry and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies was signed to enhance cooperation in digital infrastructure, innovation, and technology exchange.

(“Confident Kazakh president’s visit will open avenues for shared prosperity, says PM Shehbaz,” Dawn, 04 February 2026; “Pakistan, Kazakhstan sign 30-plus MoUs as Shehbaz seeks $1b trade target,” The Express Tribune, 04 February 2026; “Pakistan, Uzbekistan aim to boost bilateral trade to $2bn within next 5 years,” Dawn, 06 February 2026)

PREVIOUS COMMENTS

February 2026 | CWA # 1959

Yesasvi Koganti | Yesasvi Koganti is an undergraduate student from Madras Christian College, Chennai.

UK and China
February 2026 | CWA # 1957

R Preetha | R Preetha is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The India–US interim trade framework
February 2026 | CWA # 1956

Lekshmi MK | Lekshmi MK is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

End of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1931

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1924

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
TWTW note
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
NIAS Global Politics Database
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
NIAS Global Politics Database
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1189

Hoimi Mukherjee | Hoimi Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science in Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith.

Chile in 2023: Crises of Constitutionality
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1187

Aprajita Kashyap | Aprajita Kashyap is a faculty of Latin American Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi.

Haiti in 2023: The Humanitarian Crisis
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1185

Binod Khanal | Binod Khanal is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

The Baltic: Energy, Russia, NATO and China
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1183

Padmashree Anandhan | Padmashree Anandhan is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangaluru.

Germany in 2023: Defence, Economy and Energy Triangle
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1178

​​​​​​​Ashok Alex Luke | Ashok Alex Luke is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at CMS College, Kottayam.

China and South Asia in 2023: Advantage Beijing?
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1177

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri | Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.

China and East Asia
The War in Ukraine
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
IPRI Quarterly Forecasts I Triggers, Trends, and Trajectories
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
Europe: Heatwaves, Wildfires, Droughts, and Ice Melt in Alps
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
NIAS Africa Weekly
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
The World This Week: 150th Issue
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
Pakistan Reader
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
Science, Technology and International Relations
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu

Nepal
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

The Maldives
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

India
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Bangladesh
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Afghanistan