ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: The two-day visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Pakistan beginning from Monday will open new avenues of development for the two Muslim countries and will help further strengthen the existing socio-economic and cultural ties.

Talking to Dawn, Kazakh ambassador to Islamabad Beibit Issabayev said at the time when the international scenario was fast changing, the state visit of their president was of historical importance.

Pakistan is among those countries which had first recognised Kazakhstan. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on February 24, 1992 when agreements in this regard were signed during Mr Nazarabayev’s first state visit to Pakistan. Mr Issabayev said Pakistan and Kazakhstan shared common values especially with reference to their Muslim culture and need to develop trade relationship because at present the bilateral trade volume was just $10 million, which by international standards was just nothing.

Mr Beibit, who himself has been a journalist for 12 years before stepping into the diplomatic services, said the most important feature of this visit was interaction between the businessmen of the two countries.

A large number of businessmen are accompanying President Nursultan Nazarbayev and they are expected to hold fruitful discussions with their Pakistani counterparts.