Not Declarations but Action: How Business Is Implementing the Strategic Partnership Agenda with Pakistan
The official visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Pakistan on February 3–4 this year marked a turning point in bilateral relations. The signing of 37 agreements and memorandums of understanding, as well as a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership, represents not a formality but a practical roadmap for economic growth. In this process, the Kazakh company Optima Development is already demonstrating how private business can move ahead of and implement national priorities in practice.
The February visit — the first at the presidential level in 23 years — underscored the revival of active dialogue. As noted by experts and political analysts, the cooperation is mutually beneficial: Kazakhstan gains access to the Indian Ocean through Pakistani ports and alternative transit corridors, while Pakistan gains access to the markets of Central Asia and the Eurasian Economic Union. Trade turnover has already exceeded USD 100 million (doubling compared to 2024), with growth potential reaching USD 1 billion and beyond. Key areas include trade, energy, transit, and the agro-industrial sector.
It is precisely in the agro-industrial sector that Optima Development has already achieved tangible results. In May 2025, at a business forum in Karachi, the company signed a USD 10 million contract with Pakistan’s leading producer FrieslandCampina Engro. The agreement involves supplying Kazakhstan with anhydrous milk fat used in the production of cheese, yogurt, and confectionery products. This is one of the first major deals of such scale between the two countries in the dairy industry.
“We set clear goals and objectives,” emphasizes Zhannat Basanov, CEO of Optima Development. “We came, signed the contract, and started working. The next step is scaling up — in line with the President’s address on developing the economy through international partnerships and transforming Kazakhstan into a full-fledged transport and logistics power.”
The company’s ambitions extend far beyond importing raw materials. “Like any entrepreneur, I dream of establishing my own production in my home country — producing and exporting goods made in Kazakhstan,” says Basanov. He sees the creation of a joint venture in the Republic of Kazakhstan as a logical continuation of cooperation with Pakistan. “The Pakistani side resolves all documentation and procedural matters very quickly and efficiently,” he notes, highlighting the effectiveness of the partners.
The achievements of Optima Development were promptly recognized: last year, the Pakistani side awarded the company for its contribution to the development of the dairy industry. The award from FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited was personally presented by Ali Tanvir Khan, Director of Business Development for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Africa. The inscription reads: “In appreciation of your efforts towards the Dairy Industry.”
New horizons are opening through integration into broader logistics chains. “Pakistan – Kazakhstan – China — these are our new strategic goals,” explains Zhanat Bassanov. “We see strong potential in connecting South Asia with China through Kazakhstan as a transit hub. This is not limited to dairy products; it also includes joint projects in the food industry, where Kazakhstan can become a key manufacturing base.” These initiatives are fully aligned with the agenda of the presidential visit, including planned investments in the railway corridor (Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan) and the development of multimodal transport routes that reduce delivery time and logistics costs.
In conclusion, President Tokayev’s February visit not only strengthened diplomatic ties but also provided a powerful stimulus for real-sector business. Companies like Optima Development demonstrate how private initiatives can evolve into drivers of national economic strategy, fostering regional integration, expanding cooperation, and creating new production capacities. In the context of intensifying global competition in logistics and trade, such partnerships become a key factor for sustainable development. For Kazakhstan, this represents a strategic opportunity to build long-term alliances where business and government act in a coordinated and mutually reinforcing manner.