Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to increase their bilateral trade volume to $200 million within the next two years, as the two countries moved to strengthen economic and commercial relations through a series of bilateral agreements. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the agreement signing ceremony in Kyrgyzstan on September 2, 2026, said the existing annual bilateral trade volume of around $16 million remains extremely low considering the potential between the two countries. The agreement sets a significantly higher trade target and reflects efforts by both governments to expand commercial engagement and create additional opportunities for businesses in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently visiting Kyrgyzstan for three days to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and hold bilateral engagements. During the ceremony, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov for converting the earlier Memorandum of Understanding into an agreement aimed at increasing bilateral trade to $200 million over two years. The two leaders witnessed the exchange of pre-signed documents by representatives from Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, marking a broader effort to establish formal frameworks for cooperation across several areas of mutual interest.
Trade and transit connectivity were among the key areas covered by the agreements. Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan finalised agreements concerning transit trade to facilitate commercial movement between the two countries and support stronger economic links. The two sides also agreed to promote cooperation in science and technology, while a diplomatic Programme of Cooperation between their foreign ministries for 2026 and 2027 was signed. In addition, the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen research collaboration and institutional cooperation between the two countries.
The bilateral engagements also extended to legal and security-related cooperation. Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a treaty on extradition, while their governments formulated a draft agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. An MoU was also signed between the interior ministries of the two countries to strengthen cooperation against the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, precursor chemicals and related activities. These agreements are intended to provide institutional mechanisms for cooperation between the two countries in areas involving law enforcement, legal assistance and security matters alongside their expanding economic relationship.
Education, healthcare, environment and academic cooperation also formed part of the agreements exchanged during the ceremony. The Kyrgyz health ministry and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council signed an MoU focused on cooperation in medical education, while the education ministries of both countries entered into another MoU to promote educational cooperation. The Kyrgyz Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision and Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination signed an MoU to strengthen collaboration in environment and climate change. Meanwhile, National Defence University Pakistan and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic agreed to cooperate in academic research and related activities.
Technology and the emerging virtual assets sector were also included in the bilateral cooperation framework. The National Agency for Virtual Assets and Blockchain Technologies under the President of Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority signed an MoU for cooperation in virtual assets. The agreement provides a formal basis for engagement between the relevant institutions of the two countries in an area that has become part of their broader technology and financial sector discussions. The inclusion of virtual assets and blockchain technologies alongside traditional trade and institutional cooperation highlights the wider scope of the agreements signed during the visit.
The two countries also expanded cooperation at the city, postal and business levels. Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement to establish a sister city relationship between Lahore and Osh, creating another avenue for closer institutional and commercial interaction. OJSC Kyrgyz Post and Pakistan Post reached a bilateral agreement covering mutually beneficial cooperation in postal services and e-commerce. Separately, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry signed an agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral business ties. The collection of agreements across trade, transit, technology, e-commerce, education and other sectors is intended to support closer economic relations and help both countries work toward the $200 million bilateral trade target over the next two years.
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