Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov inspects the guard of honor at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad. Photo: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, emphasizing the importance of regional peace and stability, agreed that the Afghan Taliban regime must honor its commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns, by taking concrete and verifiable measures against terrorist entities.
Bilateral and regional relations were discussed during the delegation-level talks held at the Prime Minister’s House.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov Nurgozhoevich led their respective sides in a delegation-level meeting.
The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and a sustainable future for its people.
During the discussions, the two sides also exchanged views on important regional and global developments. While expressing concern over growing threats to peace and security in the region, they agreed that disputes must be resolved by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The two sides also exchanged views on the ongoing peace efforts in Gaza and reiterated their unwavering support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the creation of a sovereign, viable, contiguous and independent Palestinian state, based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
During the talks, the Prime Minister was assisted by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, federal ministers and senior government officials.
The Prime Minister stressed that Pakistan attaches great importance to its brotherly relations with the Kyrgyz Republic.
He reiterated Pakistan’s continued commitment to strengthen its engagement with Central Asian states under the ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy.
Both leaders underlined the importance of expanding and deepening relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, which are based on historical ties, cultural similarities, shared values and a common vision of regional peace and prosperity. They reviewed the progress made in existing cooperation frameworks and reaffirmed their common determination to further strengthen this partnership, particularly in the areas of trade, energy, connectivity and people-to-people contacts.
Highlighting the need to strengthen economic cooperation, both sides agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, setting a bilateral trade volume target of $200 million by 2027-2028, through effective implementation of signed agreements/MoUs and a results-oriented approach. The two leaders noted with satisfaction the fifth successful meeting of the Kyrgyz-Pakistan Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, held in Islamabad on July 28-29, 2025.
Both sides recognized the importance of energy connectivity for regional stability. They reiterated their shared vision for rapid and effective implementation of the CASA-1000 project, which represents the cornerstone of regional energy cooperation and a vital link between Central and South Asia.
Both leaders also highlighted the vital need for well-developed, safe, sustainable and diversified connectivity routes between the Kyrgyz Republic and Pakistan to ensure enhanced bilateral and regional trade. In this regard, they expressed satisfaction over the operationalization of the Pakistan-Kyrgyz Republic road corridor under the Quadrilateral Transit Traffic Agreement (QTTA).
During the discussions, the two sides also exchanged views on important regional and global developments. While expressing concern over growing threats to peace and security in the region, they agreed that disputes must be resolved by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Subsequently, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of 15 MoUs and agreements in various sectors, including energy, mining, trade, education, law and justice, agriculture, culture and tourism.
Earlier, upon arrival at the Prime Minister’s House, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic was introduced by a contingent of the Pakistani armed forces.
The Prime Minister also hosted a lunch in honor of the Kyrgyz President and his delegation. The two leaders also spoke at a joint press conference.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged businessmen of Kyrgyzstan to identify areas of mutual cooperation to strengthen trade and establish joint ventures to invest in sectors of Pakistan’s economy.
Speaking at an event of the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Business Forum, he said Pakistan received a high-level delegation from Kyrgyzstan led by its President, after a gap of 20 years.
He added that the two sides had signed a memorandum of understanding that would increase bilateral trade, which currently stood at a paltry five million dollars, to $200 million over the next two years. “This will be a quantum leap in our trade relations and will bode very well for our future cooperation,” he continued.
Memorandum of Understanding
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have signed several agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation in several sectors, including energy, mining, trade, agriculture, culture, health, tourism and regional connectivity.
The pre-signed documents were officially exchanged during a ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s House as part of the first state visit of President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Japarov.
The two leaders signed a joint declaration on “Strengthening comprehensive cooperation in the interests of both countries.”
The two sides exchanged Memoranda of Understanding between Pakistan Foreign Service Academy and Kyrgyz Republic Diplomatic Academy; and between the Ministry of Economy and Trade of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan.
Memoranda of understanding on cooperation in the field of agriculture; mining and geosciences; The energy sector and the use of Pakistani ports for regional connectivity were exchanged between the Pakistani and Kyrgyz sides.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have exchanged documents agreeing on the transfer of convicted persons to prison to serve their sentences.
The two parties exchanged memoranda of understanding on the exchange of electronic data between the customs services of the two countries; and cooperation in the field of tourism; and surgical instruments.
The two sides also exchanged documents of an agreement in the field of culture as well as on the establishment of twinning relations between Bishkek and Islamabad.
Representatives of the two sides also exchanged memorandums of understanding for cooperation between the Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice and the Pakistani Ministry of Law and Justice; between the Prime Minister’s Youth Program of Pakistan and the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan; and between the Diplomatic Academy of the Kyrgyz Republic and the National University of Modern Languages (NUML).
