ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 31. Kazakhstan piloted several trucks on a new trade route to Pakistan via Afghanistan, Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Kairat Torebayev said, Trend reports.
He made the remark during a meeting with reporters covering the upcoming Kazakh-Afghan Business Forum.
"We are negotiating with the Pakistani National Logistics Cell company, which will safely ensure the trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan. We recently launched a pilot project and several trucks went on this route. At the same time, the cargo from Kazakhstan to Pakistan and back travels 4,000 km. It is not such a long distance in terms of regional development," he said.
Meanwhile, he noted that Kazakhstan will continue cooperation with Uzbekistan on the supply of flour and grain to Afghanistan. An agreement was also reached on a 30 percent discount on the transit of goods through the territory of Turkmenistan in the direction of Afghanistan.
A delegation of representatives from business and the government of Afghanistan will arrive in Kazakhstan. On August 3, 2023, the first Kazakh-Afghan business forum will be held in Astana, and on August 4–5, an exhibition of Afghan goods will take place.