ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 5. Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin and First Deputy Minister of Communications of Pakistan Ali Sher Mehsud have discussed cooperation in the transport and logistics sector, including the International North-South Transport Corridor, for final access to the Pakistani seaports of Karachi and Gwadar, TurkicWorld reports.

According to the parties, access to Pakistani ports will provide access to African and Southeast Asian countries for Kazakhstan.

During the meeting, the importance of developing regional interconnectedness for increasing trade, economics, investment cooperation, etc. was especially noted.

As a result of the negotiations, an agreement was reached on the practical implementation of measures aimed at enhancing cooperation in the transport and logistics industry, including holding expert meetings in preparation for the next meeting of the Special Working Group on Transport and Regional Connectivity of Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan presented an invitation to the 11th meeting of the ministers of transport of the SCO member states and the 1st meeting of the ministers of transport of the SCO and EAEU member states in May of this year.

The foundation of the North-South corridor was laid based on an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000.

In total, 13 countries (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Russia, Tajikistan, Türkiye and Ukraine) have ratified the agreement.

The North-South corridor includes various modes of transport: rail, road, and inland waterways. The infrastructure of this route provides flexibility and a variety of transport routes. The corridor also facilitates international trade and the development of cooperation between the regions it connects.