President Asif Ali Zardari has welcomed the opening of the first Kazakhstan-Pakistan Artificial Intelligence Centre in Gujranwala.

He was talking to Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin, who called on him in Islamabad today.

The President appreciated the Government of Kazakhstan for the one million dollars grant to the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund.

He stressed the need for effective implementation of the agreements and MoUs signed during the visit and for translating political goodwill into greater trade and investment.

He said the target of one billion dollars in bilateral trade within two years is achievable through sustained engagement.

He highlighted opportunities in agriculture, energy, mining and minerals, IT, pharmaceuticals, textiles and defence production, while stressing the importance of stronger road, rail, air and maritime connectivity.

Asif Ali Zardari also appreciated Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin's contribution to strengthening Pakistan-Kazakhstan relations during his five-year tenure in Pakistan.

Receiving the Ambassador for a farewell call at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President said bilateral relations witnessed significant progress during his tenure.

In his remarks, the Ambassador informed that Kazakhstan is working to establish railway connectivity with Pakistan and that six sectoral working groups covering trade, transport, energy, agriculture, IT and education are already operational.

He said Kazakhstan has established campuses of several leading international universities, providing students from countries including Pakistan with opportunities to study at reputed international universities at considerably lower cost. He noted that around 1,000 Pakistani students are currently studying in Kazakh universities.

The Ambassador said Kazakhstan can serve as a potential market for Pakistani fruits, particularly mangoes, guava, falsa and other tropical fruits.

The President appreciated the Ambassador's active engagement with the Government, business community and academic institutions.

He conveyed his warm regards and best wishes to President Tokayev and wished Ambassador Kistafin success in his future endeavours.