Islamabad: Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan held delegation level talks in Islamabad today. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led the Pakistani delegation while the Kyrgyz side was led by its President Sadyr Zhaparov. Both leaders emphasized the significance of expanding and deepening Pakistan-Kyrgyz relations that were underpinned by historic links, cultural similarities, shared values, and a common vision for regional peace and prosperity. They reviewed progress on existing cooperation frameworks and reaffirmed their shared resolve to further strengthen this partnership, particularly in the areas of trade, energy, connectivity, and people-to-people contacts.
According to Radio Pakistan, highlighting the need to enhance economic cooperation, the two sides agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, setting a target of two hundred million dollars bilateral trade volume by 2027-28. Both sides recognized the importance of energy connectivity for regional stability. They reiterated their shared vision of timely and effective implementation of the CASA-1000 project, which represents a cornerstone of regional energy cooperation and a vital link between Central and South Asia.
The two sides also stressed upon the vital need for well-developed, secure, sustainable, and diversified connectivity routes between Kyrgyz Republic and Pakistan to ensure the further enhancement of bilateral as well as regional trade. In this regard, they expressed satisfaction over the operationalization of the road corridor between Pakistan and Kyrgyz Republic under the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA).
Both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and a sustainable future for its people. They agreed that the Afghan Taliban regime must honor its commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns by taking concrete and verifiable actions against terrorist entities.
They exchanged views on the ongoing peace efforts in Gaza and reiterated their unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign, viable, contiguous, and independent Palestinian state, based on pre-June 1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Pakistan attached high importance to its brotherly relations with the Kyrgyz Republic. He reiterated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to enhancing its engagement with the Central Asian states under the ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy.