Pakistan’s President Zardari to Visit Kyrgyzstan for High-Level Talks on Trade and Energy Cooperation]
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will travel to Kyrgyzstan on Monday for a four-day official visit to discuss trade, energy, and investment cooperation, as well as regional developments, the foreign office announced. The visit marks the first by a Pakistani president to the Central Asian nation in 21 years.
Zardari is responding to an invitation from Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov, who paid a historic visit to Pakistan in December 2025. That visit marked the first by a Kyrgyz president to Pakistan in two decades.
Pakistan is actively pursuing enhanced economic ties with Central Asian republics,particularly in the energy sector. A cornerstone of this cooperation is the CASA-1000 project, launched in 2016, which aims to transmit excess hydroelectric power from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan during peak summer months. The initiative has faced prolonged delays, largely due to ongoing instability in Afghanistan.
“At the invitation of Kyrgyz Republic President H.E. Mr. Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, will undertake an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic from 6-9 July 2026, leading a high-level delegation,” the foreign office stated.
The statement confirmed that Zardari will engage in bilateral and delegation-level talks with President Zhaparov. During the discussions, the two leaders are expected to review the full scope of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and exchange perspectives on mutual regional and international concerns.
Zardari is also scheduled to meet with the speaker of the Kyrgyzstan parliament during his visit.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan maintain strong diplomatic relations, having established formal ties on May 10, 1992. The two nations have consistently supported each other at international forums, including the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
During President Zhaparov’s visit to Pakistan last year, Islamabad and Bishkek signed 15 agreements and memoranda of understanding to advance cooperation across trade, energy, agriculture, education, customs data sharing, and port logistics.
