Kyrgyz President Japarov drives PM Shehbaz to airport as Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan target $200m trade

BISHKEK: Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov personally drove Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the airport to see him off on Wednesday, in a rare gesture of hospitality that Pakistan said reflected the close and growing ties between the two countries.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Japarov himself drove to the airport at the conclusion of Shehbaz’s visit to Bishkek and personally bid farewell to the Pakistani prime minister.

The gesture was described by the Prime Minister’s Office as an expression of “extraordinary hospitality” and a reflection of the strong and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The visit also saw the two sides agree to strengthen economic, trade, energy and regional connectivity ties, with Prime Minister Shehbaz proposing that a memorandum of understanding on bilateral trade be converted into a formal agreement.

Shehbaz says Kyrgyzstan visit successful

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sharif described his visit to Kyrgyzstan as successful, saying Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan had agreed to increase bilateral trade to $200 million within two years.

Speaking to the media before departing Bishkek for Pakistan, the prime minister said he held “positive meetings” during the visit and reached an agreement with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on increasing bilateral trade.

Shehbaz said the current trade volume between the two countries was around $16 million, which he described as far below the potential of their close and brotherly relations.

“I proposed that the trade volume should be increased,” the prime minister said, adding that President Japarov agreed with his proposal.

He said the two sides had signed an agreement at the airport aimed at increasing bilateral trade to $200 million within the next two years.

The prime minister said his meeting with President Japarov was held in a cordial atmosphere and focused on expanding economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries.

The development came as Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed multiple agreements and memorandums of understanding covering trade, transit, education, technology, security and other sectors during Shehbaz’s visit.

During a joint media interaction earlier, Shehbaz said the two countries would work on a comprehensive plan to improve trade mechanisms, promote joint investment projects, strengthen industrial cooperation and expand direct business-to-business contacts.

He also welcomed the signing of a transit trade agreement, saying stronger connectivity between South and Central Asia was central to the shared economic vision of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The prime minister said the two sides had also reaffirmed the importance of implementing the Quadrilateral Agreement on Traffic in Transit and agreed to simplify transport, customs and administrative procedures.

Speaking during his meeting with Japarov earlier, Shehbaz said bilateral trade currently stood at only around $15-16 million a year, which did not reflect the strength of relations between the two countries.

He proposed that Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan work to increase bilateral trade to $200 million annually within the next two years, describing the target as achievable through practical measures.

“Let us convert straight away this MOU into an agreement,” Shehbaz said, urging the two sides to develop a comprehensive plan to expand trade mechanisms, joint investment and industrial cooperation.

Connectivity was another key area of discussion, with Shehbaz describing it as central to the shared vision of greater economic integration between South and Central Asia.

He welcomed the signing of a transit trade agreement, saying it would facilitate trade and create new opportunities for regional connectivity. The two sides also reaffirmed the importance of implementing the Quadrilateral Agreement on Traffic in Transit and agreed to simplify transport, customs and administrative procedures.

On energy cooperation, Shehbaz reaffirmed the importance of the timely implementation of the CASA-1000 project and welcomed the establishment of a joint working group covering electricity, hydropower, renewable energy and infrastructure.

He also praised Japarov’s efforts in completing Kyrgyzstan’s segment of the CASA-1000 project.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding covering several areas during the prime minister’s visit.

The two countries also agreed to establish sister-city ties between Lahore and Osh, with Shehbaz highlighting the historical and cultural significance of both cities.

The prime minister said bilateral cooperation had also expanded in education, science and technology, health, culture and tourism, while the two sides reaffirmed their resolve to cooperate against terrorism, extremism and other threats.

Shehbaz congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2027-28 and said Pakistan looked forward to working closely with Bishkek at the international forum.

He also congratulated Kyrgyzstan on hosting the Sixth World Nomad Games, saying Pakistan was delighted to participate.

Calling Kyrgyzstan Pakistan’s “most important and valued partner in Central Asia”, Shehbaz expressed hope that his visit would mark the beginning of greater interaction between the two countries.

He also invited Japarov to visit Pakistan, an invitation the Kyrgyz president “graciously accepted”.

For his part, Japarov welcomed Shehbaz to Bishkek and said Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan shared “brotherly relations”, expressing confidence that the visit would further strengthen bilateral ties.

The Kyrgyz president said his country was keen to cooperate with Pakistan across various sectors and promote regional connectivity and trade, adding that the relationship was bound by mutual respect and historical ties.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of mutual cooperation and solidarity, with Japarov saying such support during difficult times had long been a tradition between the two countries.

Shehbaz attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus Summit during his Kyrgyzstan visit. Pakistan also assumed the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27.

The prime minister’s departure from Bishkek was marked by Japarov’s personal gesture at the airport, which Islamabad said added a new dimension to the “brotherly” relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

MOUs signed

PM Shehbaz and Japarov signed a joint declaration between the two countries and the foreign ministries of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan also exchanged a document on a cooperation programme between them.

Among the other agreements exchanged were an MOU between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and Kyrgyzstan’s National Institute for cooperation, and an MOU on cooperation to curb narcotics, drug abuse and smuggling.

The Pakistan Disaster Management Commission (PDMC) and Kyrgyzstan’s health ministry exchanged an MOU on cooperation in medical education, while Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan also signed an MOU on cooperation in the virtual assets sector.

The National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad and Kyrgyzstan’s National Institute for Strategic Initiatives signed an MOU on research cooperation, while Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan also signed an agreement on transit trade.

In a separate agreement, the two countries agreed to declare Lahore and the Kyrgyz city of Osh as sister cities.

Guard of Honour

Upon his arrival earlier today, PM Shehbaz was accorded a guard of honour at the Presidential Palace in Bishkek on Wednesday during his three-day official visit to Kyrgyzstan.

The prime minister is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and senior officials.

PM Shehbaz will hold bilateral talks with President Zhaparov on the full range of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations. The two sides are expected to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

They will also exchange views on regional and international developments and cooperation through regional and multilateral forums.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz held bilateral meetings with leaders attending the SCO gatherings and participated in the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games in Bishkek.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan share longstanding ties rooted in historical, religious and cultural links. The visit is expected to build on recent high-level exchanges and strengthen practical cooperation between the two countries.

PM Shehbaz warns against weaponising water, takes over SCO chairmanship

Addressing the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State, on September 1, PM Shehbaz warned that shared water resources must not be used as a tool of political pressure, as Pakistan assumed the chairmanship for 2026-27 at the bloc’s summit in Kyrgyzstan.

PM Shehbaz said transboundary water agreements were binding international commitments and should be implemented “unconditionally” in both letter and spirit. His remarks came amid tensions between Pakistan and India over the Indus Waters Treaty.

With Pakistan taking over the SCO chair, PM Shehbaz outlined Islamabad’s priorities for the coming year, including information technology and artificial intelligence, energy, poverty reduction, disaster management, healthcare, culture and sports. He proposed an SCO framework for sovereign AI infrastructure and governance aimed at promoting responsible and inclusive technological development.

Pakistan will also host the Global Resilience Expo 2026-27 in Islamabad to strengthen regional cooperation on disaster preparedness, early-warning systems and emergency response. Shehbaz called for implementation of the SCO Development Strategy through 2035 and backed the creation of an SCO Development Bank.

On regional connectivity, he described projects linking member states as a strategic priority and highlighted the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a route connecting regional economies to the Arabian Sea.

PM Shehbaz also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic role in the regional crisis that followed the violation of an SCO member state’s sovereignty, saying Islamabad’s efforts contributed to the June 2026 Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. He described the MoU as a viable path towards lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy.

He also referred to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, stressing that it was defensive in nature and not directed against any country.

On security, Shehbaz said terrorism remained a major threat across the SCO region. He said Pakistan had lost more than 90,000 lives and suffered over $150 billion in economic losses during its two-decade-plus fight against terrorism.

He also called for an end to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and urged international action to uphold their right to self-determination.

PM Shehbaz further called for reform of the United Nations to make it more accountable and responsive to an increasingly multipolar world.

At the summit, he signed the joint declaration on behalf of Pakistan, formally marking Islamabad’s assumption of the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026-27.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Bishkek, where they discussed bilateral relations and implementation of the Islamabad MoU.