Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed 16 memoranda of understanding and agreements on Wednesday after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov in Bishkek, capping a three day visit that also included Pakistan’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Trade Target Set at $200 Million
PM Shehbaz said the two countries agreed to work toward increasing bilateral trade from around 16 million dollars to 200 million dollars a year within the next two years, calling the current level “not a patch on our friendship, our brotherhood, and our very strong relations,” according to the Express Tribune.
The agreements covered transit trade, education, health, science and technology, environment, virtual assets, and postal services, along with a treaty on extradition and a draft pact on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, Dawn reported. The two countries also established a sister city relationship between Lahore and Osh.
Security Cooperation Also on the Agenda
Shehbaz said security and defense cooperation featured prominently in the talks, with both sides reaffirming their resolve to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and extremism, according to Pakistan Observer. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan as it relates to regional peace and security.
Zhaparov and Shehbaz signed a joint statement covering the full scope of the visit, and the Pakistani premier congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2027-28 and its chairmanship of the SCO.
Central Asia as a Priority Partner
Shehbaz described connectivity as central to the two countries’ shared vision of closer economic integration between South and Central Asia, and said Pakistan regards Kyrgyzstan as its most valued partner in the region.
The visit was Shehbaz’s first standalone bilateral trip to Kyrgyzstan since taking office, and came as Islamabad has sought to deepen trade and security ties across Central Asia alongside its existing partnerships in the Gulf and with China.
Officials on both sides described the visit as a turning point for a relationship that has historically been overshadowed by Pakistan’s larger regional partnerships. Kyrgyz officials said they hoped to see follow-through on the trade targets through concrete investment projects rather than symbolic agreements alone.
