BISHKEK – President Asif Ali Zardari, leading a high-level delegation, met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov Nurgozhoevich on Monday during an official visit to Kyrgyzstan, marking a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two nations.
The visit underscored the enduring friendship and time-tested ties between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, rooted in shared faith, history, and cultural affinity. The meeting was preceded by an official welcoming ceremony at the Rukh Ordo Cultural Centre in Bishkek.
Broadening Bilateral Cooperation
During the talks, both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored opportunities in trade, energy, connectivity, political and commercial collaboration, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. Progress on the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project was also highlighted, with both sides emphasizing the potential for an expanded economic, cultural, inter-parliamentary, and strategic partnership.
President Zardari recalled President Zhaparov’s state visit to Pakistan in December 2025—the first by a Kyrgyz president in two decades—noting that the visit imparted fresh momentum to the relationship and resulted in the signing of 16 agreements and memorandums of understanding. He reiterated that Kyrgyzstan holds an important position in Pakistan’s “Vision Central Asia” policy.
Multilateral Coordination and New Agreements
President Zardari congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its historic election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term. He affirmed that Pakistan looks forward to continued close coordination with Kyrgyzstan at the UN, OIC, ECO, SCO, and other multilateral platforms. He welcomed enhanced parliamentary, defense, security, and strategic-policy exchanges to build greater mutual understanding on regional and global developments.
Both sides exchanged views on key regional and international developments, reaffirming their mutual commitment to promoting peace, stability, and progress through dialogue.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) was signed by Kyrgyz Health Minister Damirbek Osmonov and Pakistan’s Minister of State for National Health Services, Dr. Mukhtar Bharath. A joint statement was subsequently signed by the two presidents.
High-Level Delegation and Reception
The Pakistani delegation included Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Minister of State for National Health Services Dr. Mukhtar Bharath, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Dr. Asim Hussain, Spokesperson to the President Murtaza Solangi, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan.
The meeting was followed by an official reception hosted by President Zhaparov in honor of President Zardari and his delegation.
