Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday reaffirmed their shared aspiration to establish a strategic partnership, with both sides pledging to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, connectivity and regional security.

The commitment came during talks between President Asif Ali Zardari and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov in Cholpon-Ata, followed by the issuance of a joint statement outlining areas of enhanced bilateral cooperation.

The two leaders underscored the importance of expanding trade, economic and investment ties and agreed to facilitate closer engagement between their business communities, including chambers of commerce, investment promotion agencies, banking institutions and the private sector.

The two presidents also expressed support for joint ventures and collaborative investment projects between the two countries.

Both leaders noted that significant potential existed for cooperation in the energy sector, particularly through the CASA-1000 project.

The two presidents also stressed the need for improving transport connectivity between Central and South Asia and reaffirmed their commitment to implementing existing agreements on transport, logistics and transit.

They agreed to work together to maximise the use of Pakistan’s seaports, promote multimodal transport networks and develop international transport corridors linking Central and South Asia.

The leaders also emphasised the importance of leveraging Kyrgyzstan’s transit and logistics potential to improve access to Central Asian markets and the Eurasian Economic Union.

The two countries pledged to take additional measures to increase cargo transportation volumes and ensure the sustainable operation of regional transport and logistics routes.

President Zardari and President Zhaparov also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in education, science, culture, tourism, youth exchanges, healthcare and medical education, while promoting greater people-to-people contacts.

Condemning terrorism in the region and beyond, the leaders stressed that peace and stability remain essential for regional development and prosperity.

They agreed to enhance coordination at international forums, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to combat terrorism in all its forms.

The Kyrgyz side also commended Pakistan’s mediation efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East and welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Both countries expressed hope that the agreement would contribute to lasting peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The two presidents emphasised the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and agreed that a secure and stable environment is vital to unlocking the full potential of regional connectivity between Central and South Asia.

During the delegation-level talks, President Zardari said Pakistan highly values its close and brotherly ties with Kyrgyzstan, describing the relationship as being rooted in shared faith, history and cultural bonds.

He also called for expanding cooperation across multiple sectors and emphasised the need to improve air connectivity by increasing the number of flights between the two countries.