Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was given a red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour on Wednesday as he arrived at the Kyrgyz presidential palace, Yntymak Ordo (Palace of Unity), in Bishkek to meet President Sadyr Zhaparov.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
According to a post by the Government of Pakistan on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz was \u201cwarmly received by President Zhaparov\u201d upon his arrival at the venue of the formal welcome reception.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe national anthems of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan were played as the two leaders stood at the salute dais,\u201d the government said.<\/p>\n
It added that \u201cthe smartly-turned out contingents of the Kyrgyz armed forces presented a guard of honour\u201d, which was reviewed by the prime minister.<\/p>\n
PM Shehbaz was in Bishkek to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).<\/p>\n
The government said both leaders \u201cintroduced their respective delegations to each other\u201d before proceeding to their meeting.<\/p>\n
The meeting was expected to include discussions on \u201cbilateral as well as regional matters\u201d, according to the government.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
PM Shehbaz, Kyrgyz president sign MoUs<\/p>\n
PM Shehbaz on Wednesday 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.<\/p>\n
Addressing a joint press briefing with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov in Bishkek after the signing of several MoUs between the two countries, PM Shehbaz said the current level of trade was \u201cnot a patch on our friendship, our brotherhood, and our very strong relations\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a very difficult task,\u201d the prime minister added.<\/p>\n
He urged the Kyrgyz president to move quickly on the matter, saying: \u201cLet us, I think, convert straight away this MOU into an agreement, if you kindly agree, later after this meeting.\u201d He further added that economic cooperation had been \u201ca major focus\u201d of his talks with Zhaparov and that the two sides had agreed their economic partnership needed to enter \u201ca more practical and result-orientated stage\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo 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,\u201d PM Shehbaz said.<\/p>\n
The prime minister welcomed greater engagement between Pakistani businesses and financial institutions and their Kyrgyz counterparts, saying this would help advance the two countries\u2019 shared vision of stronger economic cooperation.<\/p>\n
\u201cConnectivity remains central to our shared vision of closer economic integration between South Asia and Central Asia,\u201d PM Shehbaz said. He welcomed the signing of an agreement on transit trade, saying it would \u201chelp facilitate trade, improve logistics, and create new opportunities for regional connectivity\u201d.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
CASA-1000, energy cooperation<\/p>\n
PM Shehbaz said energy cooperation was \u201canother very important pillar\u201d of the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan partnership.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reaffirmed the importance of the timely implementation of the CASA-1000 project,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
The prime minister also praised Zhaparov for his efforts to complete the Kyrgyz segment of the CASA-1000 project.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to once again appreciate your wonderful efforts to complete the CASA-1000 segment belonging to Kyrgyzstan under your very dynamic leadership,\u201d PM Shehbaz told the Kyrgyz president.<\/p>\n
He said the two countries had also expanded cooperation in \u201ceducation, science, technology, health, culture, and tourism\u201d.<\/p>\n
The premier welcomed the establishment of sister-city relations between Osh and Lahore, describing them as \u201ctwo ancient cities\u201d 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 \u201crich history and cultural heritage\u201d of the two cities.<\/p>\n
Security and defence cooperation also featured prominently in the talks, according to the prime minister.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reaffirmed our resolve to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism, and other contemporary threats,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 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,\u201d he said. The two leaders had also agreed that effective multilateralism was essential to addressing global challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also concurred that effective multilateralism is key to resolving priority issues of the day and achieving global peace and security,\u201d PM Shehbaz said. \u201cYour Excellency, we remain committed to work together at the United Nations and other multilateral fora,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The prime minister congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its Independence Day and conveyed Pakistan\u2019s \u201cwarmest congratulations\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cPakistan is delighted to participate in these Games,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s leadership, saying it was \u201cheartening to witness Kyrgyzstan’s remarkable progress and development\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The prime minister said he fully shared Zhaparov\u2019s commitment to deepening cooperation between the two countries and strengthening ties between their peoples.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d he said. PM Shehbaz also praised the \u201cpositive and constructive spirit\u201d of the talks, saying they had culminated in the signing of several MoUs aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation and economic exchanges.<\/p>\n
He said Pakistan considered Kyrgyzstan \u201cits most important and valued partner in Central Asia\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cPakistan regards the Kyrgyz Republic as its most important and valued partner in Central Asia, and we mean it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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. \u201cIt is my hope that this visit is the beginning of many such interactions between our two countries in times to come,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaking 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Concluding his remarks, PM Shehbaz said, \u201cMay 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was given a red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour on Wednesday 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 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5577"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5581,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577\/revisions\/5581"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}