PM Shehbaz says Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan will work towards expanding bilateral trade to $200m

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that he and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov had held talks focused on economic cooperation and agreed that “our economic partnership must now move to a more practical and result-oriented stage”. “To this end, we will be working on a comprehensive plan of practical measures aimed at gradually increasing bilateral trade to $200 million, improving trade mechanisms, promoting joint investment projects, strengthening industrial cooperation and expanding direct business-to-business contacts,” he said, addressing the media alongside President Zhaparov in Bishkek after the two countries signed multiple memoranda (MoU) of understanding. Following the signing of the MoUs, PM Shehbaz addressed a press briefing alongside President Zhaparov, saying that, as he had noted during their earlier meeting, the current bilateral trade between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan stood at around $16 million, which, he said, was “not a patch on our friendship and our very strong relations.” He recalled that during his talks with President Zhaparov, he had noted that “our present-day bilateral trade stands at around $16m, which is not a patch on our friendship and our very strong relations”. “Today, we should have signed not an MoU but an agreement to make sure that in the next two years we increase our bilateral trade from $16m to $200m per annum. And this is not a very difficult task. Let us convert this MoU straight away into an agreement, if you kindly agree, after this meeting,” he added. The prime minister further stated, “We welcome greater engagement between Pakistani businesses and financial institutions and their Kyrgyz counterparts to carry forward our shared vision of enhancing our bilateral economic cooperation.” PM Shehbaz said connectivity remained central to the two countries’ shared vision of closer economic integration between South and Central Asia. “We welcome the signing of the agreement on transit trade, which will help facilitate trade, improve logistics and create new opportunities for regional connectivity,” he added. He said the two sides had also reaffirmed the importance of effectively implementing the quadrilateral agreement on traffic and transit and agreed to work towards simplifying transport, customs and administrative procedures. “Energy cooperation is another very important pillar of our partnership,” he said, adding that the two sides had reaffirmed the importance of timely implementation of the Casa-1000 project and welcomed the establishment of a joint working group on energy to develop practical cooperation in the areas of electricity, hydropower, renewable energy, energy infrastructure and modern technologies. “I am pleased that our two sides have expanded cooperation in education, science and technology, health, culture and tourism,” he further stated. Moreover, he continued, “We warmly welcomed the establishment of sister-city ties between Osh and Lahore,” describing them as two ancient cities whose iconic landmarks, from Sulaiman-Too to the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque, reflected their rich history and cultural heritage. PM Shehbaz said security and defence cooperation had also featured prominently in their discussions. The two sides reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism and other contemporary threats, he added. The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, in addition to bilateral matters, PM Shehbaz said. The prime minister said the two sides had agreed to deepen cooperation on environmental issues and concurred that effective multilateralism was key to resolving the priority issues of the day and achieving global peace and security. “We remain committed to working together at the UN and other multilateral fora,” he said. “Pakistan regards the Kyrgyz Republic as its most important and valued partner in Central Asia, and we mean it.” He told President Zhaparov he hoped that his visit marked the beginning of many more such interactions between the two countries. PM Shehbaz also invited President Zhaparov to visit Pakistan at a mutually convenient time. Earlier in his address, he thanked the Kyrgyz president and the government and people of Kyrgyzstan for a “warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to me and my delegation”. He further congratulated the people of Kyrgyzstan on behalf of the people of Pakistan on their independence day. PM Shehbaz also extended felicitations to Kyrgyzstan for hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, on its election as a non-permanent of the United Nations Security Council for 2027-28 and on its successful chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2025–2026. “We are also very happy that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and his team worked tirelessly for your election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,” he said, adding that it was “heartening to witness Kyrgyzstan’s remarkable progress and development under your (President Zhaparov) energetic leadership”. Kyrgyzstan had made “impressive economic gains and taken meaningful steps to translate this progress into an improved quality of life through expanded public services and targeted support for vulnerable communities”, he added. “I fully share your commitment to deepening cooperation between our two countries and strengthening the bonds between our two peoples in pursuit of our shared interests and broader goals of peace and cooperation among nations. “And in this regard, I commend the positive and constructive spirit of our discussions held today, which culminated in the signing of several MoUs aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation and economic exchanges for the mutual benefit of our countries and our peoples,” he said. The Kyrgyz president also spoke alongside PM Shehbaz at a ceremony, delivering his remarks in Kyrgyz. According to a translation carried by state-run Radio Pakistan , he said that “at a time when international tensions are increasing, strengthening friendship, deepening mutual understanding and developing cooperation are more important than ever”. He said the joint statement signed after their talks reflected a shared vision for further strengthening Kyrgyz-Pakistani relations and identified key areas of cooperation. Zhaparov said the economy should be “one of the main pillars” of the bilateral partnership and that the two countries had agreed to take steps to boost bilateral trade, expand the range of traded goods and attract investment. The Kyrgyz president further stated that the two sides were ready to undertake joint projects in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, energy, light industry, tourism, the digital economy, virtual assets and other fields. Zhaparov said Pakistan’s seaports offered Kyrgyzstan a natural route to South Asian markets and global trade routes. He said the two countries had traditionally maintained close cooperation at the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Economic Cooperation Organisation. He also congratulated Pakistan on assuming the chairmanship of the SCO. Both leaders signed a joint statement encompassing the discussions and goals of Prime Minister Shehbaz’s visit to Bishkek. The Foreign Office (FO) later issued a joint statement by the two countries, which added that the two leaders also condemned terrorist attacks in the region and beyond and “stressed the significance of stability, safety and security in Afghanistan as an important condition for realising the vision of seamless connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia”. “In this regard, both leaders reiterated that Afghan territory should not be used for activities that pose threats to the security of other countries, in accordance with its international obligations,” it added. The two sides agreed that a secure and conducive environment was necessary to realise the enormous potential for cooperation and connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia. The statement further said the Pakistani side “reaffirmed its support for international initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic aimed at advancing the global mountain agenda, sustainable development of mountain regions and adaptation to climate change, including the holding of the Second Mountain Summit Bishkek +25 in 2027”. Pakistan also expressed its readiness to actively participate in its work, it added. MoUs signed Earlier, PM Shehbaz and President Zhaparov witnessed the ceremony where the representatives from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents. The two sides signed a diplomatic Programme of Cooperation between their foreign ministries for 2026-27 besides an MoU between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen research collaboration. Both countries also finalised agreements on transit trade to facilitate bilateral commercial movement and promote science and technological cooperation, besides signing a treaty on extradition, the APP report said. The governments of both countries formulated a draft agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, and an MoU was signed between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Kyrgyz Republic to combat the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, precursor chemicals, and related issues. The Kyrgyz health ministry and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council signed an MoU focused on cooperation in medical education while another MoU was signed between the education ministries of both countries to promote cooperation in the field of education. The Kyrgyz Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision and Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation in the field of environment and climate change. Moreover, Pakistan, National Defence University and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic signed an MoU for academic research and cooperative activities. The National Agency for Virtual Assets and Blockchain Technologies under the Kyrgyz President and the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority signed an MoU for cooperation in virtual assets. Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan also signed an agreement on the establishment of a sister city relationship between Lahore and Osh city of Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, OJSC Kyrgyz Post and Pakistan Post reached a bilateral agreement for mutually beneficial cooperation in postal services and e-commerce while another agreement was signed between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on cooperation to boost bilateral business ties. Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic also signed multiple bilateral accords to enhance cooperation in trade, security, education, environment and technology sectors. PM’s arrival at presidential palace PM Shehbaz had reached Bishkek on Monday on a three-day visit, primarily to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit that concluded on Tuesday. He visited the presidential palace, Yntymak Ordo, today for his engagement with the Kyrgyz president and was given red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour upon his arrival, a statement by Pakistan’s government said. “He was warmly received by President Zhaparov [and] the national anthems of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan were played as the two leaders stood at the salute dais. “The smartly-turned out contingents of the Kyrgyz armed forces presented the guard of honour,” the statement detailed. Both leaders introduced their respective delegations to each other before proceeding for their meeting, it added. According to the statement, PM Shehbaz later visited the Ata Beyit Memorial Complex in Bishkek, where he was received by Kyrgyzstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Daniar Amangeldiev and Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Mirbek Mambetaliyev. The prime minister laid a wreath at the grave of renowned Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov and offered Fateha, it added.