SCO summit: PM Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Bishkek for three-day visit

ISLAMABAD: BISHKEK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Monday for a three-day visit during which he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and hold bilateral meetings with leaders of participating countries.

Upon arrival, the prime minister was received by Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev.

Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to address the SCO summit, where he will present Pakistan’s position on key regional and global issues.

He will also attend the SCO Plus summit and participate as the chief guest in the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games.

During his stay, the prime minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders attending the SCO summit. Discussions will cover bilateral relations, trade and investment, regional cooperation and other matters of mutual interest.

Shehbaz will also meet Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov for talks on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The two sides are expected to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and people-to-people contacts.

The prime minister’s visit comes as Pakistan seeks to strengthen economic and regional ties with Kyrgyzstan and other SCO member states, particularly in areas of connectivity, trade and investment.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and federal ministers Jam Kamal Khan, Abdul Aleem Khan and Attaullah Tarar are accompanying the prime minister as part of the Pakistani delegation.

Earlier, the Foreign Office said that the prime minister is visiting Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 2 at the invitation of President Sadyr Japarov. During the visit, Pakistan will assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27.

PM Shehbaz will also attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games on August 31 and is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of participating countries on the sidelines of the SCO gatherings.

On September 2, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with President Japarov. The two leaders will review the full range of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and discuss measures to expand cooperation in trade, investment, energy and regional connectivity.

The talks will also cover education, tourism and people-to-people contacts, while the leaders are expected to exchange views on regional and international developments.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations are based on shared history, religious ties and cultural links. It said the visit would help further strengthen the longstanding ties between the two countries and broaden cooperation in key areas.