Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan to raise bilateral trade to $200m

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday instructed their governments to prepare an action plan to raise bilateral trade to $200 million, as the two countries sought to move their economic partnership to a “qualitatively new” level, according to a joint statement shared by the Foreign Office (FO).

The joint statement, issued by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov following their talks in Bishkek and signing of multiple MoUs, said the leaders had “instructed the competent government authorities to prepare and implement a comprehensive Action Plan aimed at gradually increasing bilateral trade turnover to $200 million, improving mutual trade mechanisms, supporting joint investment projects, developing industrial cooperation and expanding business activity between the two countries”.

The leaders also agreed to strengthen the Kyrgyz-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and improve coordination among government bodies, financial institutions and business communities.

They agreed to expand cooperation in “mining and processing industries, agriculture, food, textile and light industries, pharmaceuticals, the halal industry and digital technologies”, with a focus on “establishing joint ventures, localizing production, exchanging technologies and implementing mutually beneficial investment projects”.

The two sides also welcomed the signing of an agreement between the Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and stressed the role of the Kyrgyz-Pakistan Joint Business Council in promoting trade and investment.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan welcomed the signing of a transit trade agreement, which they said would create “qualitatively new opportunities for expanding regional integration, substantially increasing the volume of mutual trade and optimizing logistics routes”.

The leaders said the agreement could help turn both countries into “important transport hubs across South Asia and Central Asia”.

They also reaffirmed the importance of the Quadrilateral Agreement on Traffic in Transit and agreed to simplify “transport, customs and administrative procedures” and remove obstacles to freight movement.

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The sides also agreed to make greater use of Pakistan’s seaports to expand Kyrgyzstan’s foreign trade and transit opportunities and develop multimodal transport links. They welcomed an agreement between Kyrgyz Post and Pakistan Post on postal services and e-commerce.

The leaders welcomed the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Energy to develop cooperation in electricity, hydropower, renewable energy, energy infrastructure and modern technologies.

They also stressed the “importance of timely implementation of the CASA-1000 project”.

The two sides welcomed a memorandum on virtual assets and blockchain technologies, calling it a “qualitatively new stage in deepening bilateral economic partnership”. They said it would support financial-market integration, a “secure and transparent digital asset ecosystem”, cross-border investment and technological innovation.

Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan also welcomed the Tamchy Special Financial International Territory and expressed interest in links with Pakistani banks, funds, financial institutions and businesses.

The leaders agreed to expand cooperation in culture, science, innovation, education, medical education and tourism, welcoming agreements covering scientific and technological cooperation, education, medical education and academic and research activities.

“These agreements establish a solid legal and institutional framework for scientific and educational cooperation,” the statement said, adding that they would facilitate academic mobility and create opportunities to train highly qualified specialists.

The sides agreed to increase tourist flows and welcomed the establishment of a Kyrgyz-Pakistan Joint Working Group on Tourism.

They also reaffirmed cooperation against “terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs”, human trafficking, illegal migration and cybercrime.

The two sides welcomed agreements on extradition, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and cooperation against illicit drug trafficking, saying these would provide a legal framework to combat transnational crime and bring law-enforcement cooperation “to a new level”.

The leaders also reaffirmed their interest in developing defence cooperation.

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The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to coordination through the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Economic Cooperation Organisation and other international and regional bodies.

Pakistan “highly appreciated” Kyrgyzstan’s SCO chairmanship in 2025–26 and the hosting of the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, while Kyrgyzstan expressed support for Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO and ECO for 2026–27.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties based on “mutual respect, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, mutual benefit”, the statement said.

They also welcomed the establishment of a sister-city relationship between Osh and Lahore.

In the joint statement, PM Shehbaz congratulated Kyrgyzstan on hosting the VI World Nomad Games, with Pakistan praising the event for “strengthening international cultural and humanitarian cooperation, preserving historical and cultural heritage and promoting inter-civilizational dialogue”.

The handout said Shehbaz’s visit continued high-level engagement following President Sadyr Zhaparov’s visit to Pakistan in December 2025 and President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Kyrgyzstan in July 2026.

Shehbaz’s visit continued high-level engagement following President Sadyr Zhaparov’s visit to Pakistan in December 2025 and President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Kyrgyzstan in July 2026.

PM Shehbaz departs Kyrgyzstan 

Following the joint statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed Kyrgyzstan for Pakistan, with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov personally seeing him off at the airport.

According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), “Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed 16 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) covering various sectors, including a commitment to increase bilateral trade to $200 million within two years.”

PM Shehbaz receives guard of honour

Earlier, PM Shehbaz was given a red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour as he arrived at the Kyrgyz presidential palace, Yntymak Ordo (Palace of Unity), in Bishkek to meet President Sadyr Zhaparov.

After signing multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs), PM Shehbaz joined President Zhaparov for a joint press briefing, where he expressed his gratitude to the Kyrgyz leadership and its people for the warm reception he received.

According to a post by the Government of Pakistan on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz was “warmly received by President Zhaparov” upon his arrival at the venue of the formal welcome reception.

“The national anthems of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan were played as the two leaders stood at the salute dais,” the government said.

It added that “the smartly-turned out contingents of the Kyrgyz armed forces presented a guard of honour”, which was reviewed by the prime minister.

PM Shehbaz was in Bishkek to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The government said both leaders “introduced their respective delegations to each other” before proceeding to their meeting.

The meeting was expected to include discussions on “bilateral as well as regional matters”, according to the government.

The prime minister’s visit to Kyrgyzstan came as the country hosted the SCO heads of state meeting, bringing together leaders from member states of the regional grouping.

The formal welcome ceremony at Yntymak Ordo marked the start of Prime Minister Shehbaz’s engagement with the Kyrgyz leadership during his visit to Bishkek.

PM Shehbaz, Kyrgyz president sign MoUs

Separately, the two sides signed multiple bilateral accords in Bishkek to enhance cooperation in trade, security, education, health, environment and technology, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The two sides signed a Programme of Cooperation between their foreign ministries for 2026–2027, as well as an MoU between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic to “strengthen research collaboration”.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan also finalised an agreement on transit trade to “facilitate bilateral commercial movement” and “promote science and technological cooperation”.

The two countries signed a treaty on extradition, while their governments formulated a draft agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

An MoU between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan was signed 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 the education ministries of both countries signed another MoU 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”.

The National Defence University Pakistan 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 establishing a sister-city relationship between Lahore and Osh, while OJSC Kyrgyz Post and Pakistan Post reached a bilateral agreement for “mutually beneficial cooperation in postal services and e-commerce”.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry also signed an agreement on cooperation to “boost bilateral business ties”.

PM calls for MoUs to become agreements

In an address after the signing of the MoUs, PM Shehbaz called for Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan to immediately turn recently signed MoUs into agreements and increase bilateral trade from around $16 million to $200 million a year within the next two years.

PM Shehbaz said the current level of trade was “not a patch on our friendship, our brotherhood, 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 US$16 million to US$200 million per annum,” he added.

“This is not a very difficult task,” the prime minister added.

He urged the Kyrgyz president to move quickly on the matter, saying: “Let us, I think, convert straight away this MOU into an agreement, if you kindly agree, later after this meeting.” He further added that economic cooperation had been “a major focus” of his talks with Zhaparov and that the two sides had agreed their economic partnership needed to enter “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 US$200 million, improving trade mechanisms, promoting joint investment projects, strengthening industrial cooperation, and expanding direct business-to-business contacts,” PM Shehbaz said.

The prime minister welcomed greater engagement between Pakistani businesses and financial institutions and their Kyrgyz counterparts, saying this would help advance the two countries’ shared vision of stronger economic cooperation.

“Connectivity remains central to our shared vision of closer economic integration between South Asia and Central Asia,” PM Shehbaz said. He welcomed the signing of an agreement on transit trade, saying it would “help facilitate trade, improve logistics, and create new opportunities for regional connectivity”.

The two sides 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, he said.

PM Shehbaz said energy cooperation was “another very important pillar” of the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan partnership.

“We reaffirmed the importance of the timely implementation of the CASA-1000 project,” he said, adding that the two sides had welcomed the establishment of a joint working group on energy. The group would develop practical cooperation in electricity, hydropower, renewable energy, energy infrastructure and modern technologies, he said.

The prime minister also praised Zhaparov for his efforts to complete the Kyrgyz segment of the CASA-1000 project.

He said the two countries had also expanded cooperation in “education, science, technology, health, culture, and tourism”.

The premier welcomed the establishment of sister-city relations between Osh and Lahore, describing them as “two ancient cities” whose landmarks reflected their shared cultural heritage. He said the iconic landmarks of Osh, including Suleiman-Too, and Lahore, including the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque, reflected the “rich history and cultural heritage” of the two cities.

Security and defence cooperation also featured prominently in the talks, according to the prime minister.

“We reaffirmed our resolve to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism, and other contemporary threats,” he said. The prime minister also said his discussions with Zhaparov had gone beyond bilateral relations to cover regional and international issues of mutual concern.

“In addition to bilateral issues, the President and I also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, and we agreed to deepen cooperation on environmental and climate issues,” he said. The two leaders had also agreed that effective multilateralism was essential to addressing global challenges.

“We also concurred that effective multilateralism is key to resolving priority issues of the day and achieving global peace and security,” PM Shehbaz said. “Your Excellency, we remain committed to work together at the United Nations and other multilateral fora,” he added.

The prime minister congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its Independence Day and conveyed Pakistan’s “warmest congratulations” on behalf of the Pakistani people. He also congratulated the country on hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, which he said he had attended at its opening ceremony two nights earlier.

“Pakistan is delighted to participate in these Games,” he said.

The prime minister also congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2027-28 and on its successful chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for 2025-26. He praised the Kyrgyz president’s leadership, saying it was “heartening to witness Kyrgyzstan’s remarkable progress and development”.

“Under your energetic leadership, Mr President, Kyrgyzstan has made impressive economic gains and taken meaningful steps to translate this progress into a quality of life through expanded public services and targeted support for vulnerable communities,” he said.

The prime minister said he fully shared Zhaparov’s commitment to deepening cooperation between the two countries and strengthening ties between their peoples.

“I fully share your commitment to deepening cooperation between our two countries and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two peoples in pursuit of our shared interest in the broader cause of peace and cooperation among nations,” he said. PM Shehbaz also praised the “positive and constructive spirit” of the talks, saying they had culminated in the signing of several MoUs aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation and economic exchanges.

He said Pakistan considered Kyrgyzstan “its most important and valued partner in Central Asia”.

“Pakistan regards the Kyrgyz Republic as its most important and valued partner in Central Asia, and we mean it,” he said.

The prime minister expressed hope that his visit would lead to further high-level engagement between the two countries and invited Zhaparov to visit Pakistan. “It is my hope that this visit is the beginning of many such interactions between our two countries in times to come,” he added.

“Making use of this opportunity, Excellency, I invited you to visit Pakistan at a mutually convenient time, and I am pleased that His Excellency, you have graciously accepted my warm invitation.”

Concluding his remarks, PM Shehbaz said, “May the bonds of friendship between our two countries remain as enduring as our mountains, as warm as the hearts of our peoples, and ever rising towards new horizons.”

“Long live Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan friendship,” he concluded.