President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday called for increased direct flights and deeper trade ties with Kyrgyzstan, saying the two countries should expand cooperation in commerce, industry and technology as Pakistan seeks to strengthen its economic links with Central Asia.
First Pakistani Presidential Visit in 21 Years
Zardari made the remarks after a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov on the second day of his four-day state visit to the Central Asian country, the first by a Pakistani president in 21 years. The visit comes as Islamabad looks to expand regional connectivity and diversify trade routes through Central Asia while deepening cooperation in sectors including energy, investment and transport.
Call for Enhanced Connectivity and Trade
“We need to have more relationship, more flights coming from Pakistan to Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan,” Zardari told a gathering of officials from both countries. He maintained the two countries should build closer economic ties, adding that Pakistan was prepared to supply goods to Kyrgyzstan on favorable terms while exploring broader industrial cooperation.
“Most commodities Pakistan has ... we would like to supply them to you at a reasonable rate rather than the world rate,” he said. “And we want to get into other dimensions of industries,” he continued. “We would like to go into all sorts of work where we can work together, we can research together.”
Regional Energy and Connectivity Projects
Pakistan has been seeking closer economic integration with the Central Asian republics through improved transport links, trade and energy cooperation. A key regional project is the CASA-1000 electricity transmission initiative, designed to export surplus summer hydropower from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan, though implementation has been delayed by instability in Afghanistan.
Multilateral Cooperation and UN Security Council
Zardari also congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-28 term and said Pakistan looked forward to working closely with Bishkek to enhance multilateral cooperation. “Pakistan looks forward to working together with the Kyrgyz Republic in the matter of international peace,” he said.
