Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Chairman Senate, held substantive talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov in Islamabad on 4 December 2025, focusing on ways to expand bilateral cooperation across trade, connectivity and parliamentary engagement. The meeting, attended by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Secretary Senate Syed Hasnain Haider and Advisor to the Chairman Senate Misbah Khar, reviewed the full spectrum of relations and steps to make cooperation more tangible for both countries.
Both delegations emphasised the importance of greater economic interaction, including enhanced trade and investment links and improved transit arrangements. The Chairman underscored Pakistan’s readiness to operationalise the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement and highlighted the strategic potential of Gwadar, Bin Qasim and Karachi ports to serve landlocked Central Asian partners. The discussion also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Belt and Road Initiative and CPEC as avenues to deepen regional connectivity.
Energy and infrastructure cooperation featured prominently, with the CASA-1000 project singled out as a key initiative connecting Central and South Asia through clean hydropower. Participants also explored opportunities in defence collaboration, counter-terrorism cooperation, scientific research and higher education, noting that the large number of Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan strengthens people-to-people ties.
Chairman Gilani proposed expanding inter-parliamentary collaboration with the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan through formal friendship groups, exchange programmes and structured institutional dialogue. He welcomed Kyrgyzstan’s active role in ECO and OIC parliamentary initiatives and praised the Kyrgyz delegation’s participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference hosted in Islamabad in November 2025, which produced the Islamabad Communiqué.
President Zhaparov expressed his country’s desire to broaden diplomatic and economic engagement with Pakistan and signalled support for closer coordination between relevant institutions to facilitate trade and investment. Both sides underlined the need to simplify visa procedures, increase direct air links and boost tourism and cultural exchanges to deepen people-to-people contacts.
The meeting also reflected on historical ties and past high-level exchanges, reinforcing a shared commitment to building a long-term strategic partnership based on mutual trust and regional stability. Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq highlighted parliamentary cooperation as a central pillar for future diplomatic and economic initiatives, while both leaders reiterated their intent to translate dialogue into practical projects that benefit citizens of both countries.
