PM Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Kyrgyzstan for SCO summit, bilateral talks

August 31, 2026 (MLN): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Bishkek on Monday for a three-day official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, where he will attend key Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meetings and hold bilateral discussions with Kyrgyz and other participating leaders.

The prime minister is visiting Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 2 at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov.

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev received Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival at Manas International Airport.

During his stay, the prime minister will represent Pakistan at the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus Summit. He will also formally assume Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) for the 2026–2027 term.

The visit will also feature a series of bilateral engagements with leaders of SCO member and participating countries. Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to meet various leaders on the sidelines of the SCO proceedings to discuss matters of mutual interest and strengthen cooperation.

He will also attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games, which are being held in Kyrgyzstan.

On September 2, Prime Minister Shehbaz will hold comprehensive bilateral talks with President Sadyr Zhaparov, with discussions expected to cover the full spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations.

The two leaders will explore avenues to expand bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and people-to-people contacts. They will also exchange views on regional and international developments and discuss cooperation at regional and multilateral forums.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and senior government officials are accompanying the prime minister during the visit.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan maintain close and fraternal ties based on shared historical, cultural and religious connections, as well as common aspirations for peace, regional connectivity and economic prosperity across Central and South Asia.

The visit is expected to build on recent high-level exchanges between the two countries, strengthen existing political goodwill and convert it into greater practical cooperation across multiple sectors.

It will also provide an opportunity for Pakistan to deepen engagement with Central Asian states through the SCO framework and advance its broader objectives of regional connectivity, trade, investment and economic cooperation.

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