Astana, 21 October. The Kurultai ratified the agreement with Uzbekistan on cooperation between customs services, signed in Tashkent on 15 November 2025, and the agreement with Pakistan on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, the parliament's press service reported.
The agreement with Uzbekistan is meant to speed up mutual trade through cooperation between the two countries' customs services. The agreement with Pakistan is aimed at jointly combating violations of customs law. Both laws, Sputnik writes, strengthen Kazakhstan's customs cooperation with partners on southern trade routes.
Answering deputies' questions, Finance Minister Madi Takiyev said that over two years Kazakhstan had modernised nine border crossing points, with a tenth, a pedestrian crossing, due to be completed in October. Crossing points are moving to round-the-clock operation and the customs service to a three-shift schedule.
Exchanging customs information between countries allows cargo to be checked in advance, before it reaches the border, so honest carriers clear customs faster and violators are easier to spot.
What it means: Kazakhstan has enshrined in law its arrangements with Uzbekistan and Pakistan so that goods cross the border faster and smuggling is easier to catch.
Who benefits: Exporters and carriers shipping goods to Uzbekistan and further south gain, as does the state, which gets tools against smuggling; the losers are those who profited from undervaluing cargo and fake documents.
Background: The agreement with Uzbekistan was signed in Tashkent on 15 November 2025, and with ratification it can enter into force.
List of sources used: Kurultai, Kurultai, Sputnik Kazakhstan, BES.media
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
