Summary Shehbaz said bilateral trade currently stood at around $16 million, describing the figure as far below the level that could be expected
BISHKEK (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his determination to raise bilateral trade between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan to $200 million over the next two years, stressing the need for stronger economic engagement between the two countries.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov at the presidential palace in Bishkek, the prime minister said the existing trade volume did not reflect the strength of relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said bilateral trade currently stood at around $16 million, describing the figure as far below the level that could be expected given the close friendship and strong ties between the two countries.
He called for greater interaction and expanded economic cooperation to unlock the potential of bilateral relations.
During the ceremony Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan also signed 16 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering multiple sectors.
The documents included a programme of cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two countries, along with an MoU between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and the Kyrgyz National Institute for Strategic Initiatives.
The two sides also exchanged documents concerning a transit trade agreement and an MoU aimed at enhancing cooperation between their education ministries.
An MoU was signed to strengthen cooperation against narcotics, psychotropic substances and smuggling. Another agreement between the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health focused on cooperation in the field of medical education.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan also reached an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation, while the two countries signed an MoU covering environmental protection and climate change.
Documents were also exchanged to promote trade cooperation between chambers of commerce, while another MoU was concluded to facilitate collaboration in the virtual assets sector.
A separate agreement was signed to establish a sister-city relationship between Lahore and Osh, a city in Kyrgyzstan.
The National Defence University Islamabad and the Kyrgyz National Institute for Strategic Initiatives also signed an MoU to promote cooperation in research.
The agreements further included cooperation between the postal departments of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan in postal services and e-commerce, as well as an agreement concerning the extradition of accused persons.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Sadyr Zhaparov also signed a joint declaration, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening relations and cooperation between the two countries.
After the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Zhaparov jointly addressed a press briefing.
PM Shehbaz hopes Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan ties will reach new heights
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope that relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan will continue to strengthen and reach new heights, stressing the need to expand cooperation between the two brotherly countries.
Addressing a joint press conference with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, the prime minister thanked the Kyrgyz leadership and people for their warm hospitality. He also congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its Independence Day and on being elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Prime Minister Shehbaz praised Kyrgyzstan's leadership for successfully hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and said Pakistan was keen to further expand its fraternal ties with the Central Asian state.
He said the signing of several agreements between the two countries marked the beginning of a broader phase of bilateral cooperation. The two sides had focused particularly on strengthening trade relations during their talks, with Pakistan seeking to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion.
The prime minister said the governments and private sectors of both countries would be encouraged to play a greater role in expanding commercial ties. He described the transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan as a positive development and said both sides would work to simplify regulations to facilitate greater trade.
He welcomed the establishment of a joint ministerial group aimed at advancing the CASA-1000 energy project, saying Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan would also enhance cooperation in education, science and technology and culture.
The prime minister said the decision to establish a sister-city relationship between Lahore and Osh would help strengthen cultural and people-to-people links between the two countries.
He added that Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan would work together to combat terrorism and extremism and had also reached an understanding on cooperation to address climate change.
The two countries would further enhance coordination at bilateral, regional and international forums, he said, describing Kyrgyzstan as an important partner for Pakistan in Central Asia.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also invited President Zhaparov to visit Pakistan, expressing confidence that bilateral relations would continue to progress.
Speaking at the joint press conference, President Sadyr Zhaparov welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz and his delegation, saying Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan enjoyed close and brotherly relations.
The Kyrgyz president said his country wanted to expand bilateral cooperation with Pakistan and noted that there were significant opportunities for investment in both countries.
He said high-level contacts between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan would be further strengthened and expressed a desire to take bilateral relations to new heights.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz arrived at Yntymak Ordo, where he was accorded a red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour, according to an official statement issued by the Pakistan government.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday was given red carpet welcome and a guard of honour as he arrived at Kyrgyzstan presidential palace Yntymak Ordo (Palace of Unity) to meet President Sadyr Zhaparov.
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) September 2, 2026
As the Prime Minister arrived at the venue of the formal… pic.twitter.com/boKPGIKeA6
The visit is expected to provide further momentum to Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and expand cooperation between the two countries in various sectors.
