Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan agree to boost bilateral trade to $200mn in two years

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday signed an agreement to increase bilateral trade volume to $200 million within two years. Addressing the agreement signing ceremony between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the current annual bilateral trade of $16 million between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan is extremely low. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Kyrgyzstan on a three-day visit to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. He expressed gratitude to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov for converting the Memorandum of Understanding into an agreement to raise bilateral trade volume to $200 million in two years. Earlier, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed multiple bilateral accords to enhance bilateral cooperation across trade, security, education, environment and technology sectors. PM Shehbaz and President Sadyr Zhaparov witnessed the ceremony where the representatives from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents. The two sides signed a diplomatic Programme of Cooperation between their foreign ministries for 2026–2027, besides a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen research collaboration. Both countries finalised agreements on transit trade to facilitate bilateral commercial movement and promote science and technological cooperation, besides signing a treaty on extradition. The governments of both countries formulated a draft agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan. READ MORE: SCO CHS for 2026-27: PM to assume Pakistan’s Chairmanship An MoU was also signed between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan to combat the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, precursor chemicals, and related issues. The Kyrgyz health ministry and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council signed an MoU focused on cooperation in medical education, while another MoU was signed between the education ministries of both countries to promote cooperation in education. Moreover, Kyrgyz Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision and Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation in the field of environment and climate change. The National Defence University Pakistan and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic signed an MoU for academic research and cooperative activities. The National Agency for Virtual Assets and Blockchain Technologies under the Kyrgyz President and the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority signed an MoU for cooperation in virtual assets. Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement to establish a sister city relationship between Lahore and Osh city of Kyrgyzstan. OJSC Kyrgyz Post and Pakistan Post reached a bilateral agreement for mutually beneficial cooperation in postal services and e-commerce, while another agreement was signed between Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on cooperation to boost bilateral business ties.

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