President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receive Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov upon his arrival at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi. Photo: NNI
ISLAMABAD:
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov arrived on Wednesday for his first state visit to Pakistan, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
As the Kyrgyz president stepped out of his special plane at Nur Khan Air Base, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly welcomed him.
Two children dressed in traditional dresses presented bouquets to the Kyrgyz president as a gun salute rang out in the background to announce the dignitary’s arrival.
Young children dressed in traditional dresses waved banners of the flags of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan. The flags of the two countries also flew along the road where President Japarov’s motorcade passed.
The well-dressed presidential bodyguard contingent presented the static salute.
The Kyrgyz president is accompanied by a high-level delegation consisting of senior ministers, senior civil servants and business leaders.
During his visit, he is expected to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, hold a tête-à-tête followed by delegation-level discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and address the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Business Forum.
The two sides will review the overall bilateral relationship and explore new avenues to further deepen cooperation in various sectors, including trade, energy, defense, education, people-to-people exchanges and regional connectivity.
The last presidential visit to the Kyrgyz Republic took place in January 2005.
