BISHKEK: While maintaining their focus on enhancing cooperation in the energy sector and regional connectivity, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan agreed on Thursday to strengthen relations in diverse areas including trade, economy, people-to-people contacts and tourism.

“Our political relations are excellent. We have agreed to further improve our economic relations, people-to-people contacts, tourism and energy,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said at a joint press conference he addressed along with his Kyrgyz counterpart Temir Sariyev after a one-to-one meeting and delegation level talks.

The two sides signed an agreement on combating drug trafficking and a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in prevention of natural disasters.

The prime minister said Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan shared interests in a broad range of issues like peace and stability, counter-terrorism, narcotics control, extremism, trade and economic cooperation and regional integration.

The two sides discussed ways of making full use of the potential of their rich human and material resources by expanding trade, increasing investments, improving infrastructure, building road and rail links and enhancing energy collaboration.

He said both sides stressed the need for speeding up work on energy projects. “It is highly satisfactory that all important agreements regarding CASA-1000 (Central Asia South Asia) Project have been concluded.”

He said as economic growth of Pakistan was heavily dependent on electricity CASA-1000 could help in mitigating its energy deficit.

The prime minister said Pakistan wished to develop an elaborate network of communication linkages. “We have taken the initiative to develop Gwadar port and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

This will facilitate regional connectivity and enable Central Asian states to use our ports. Similarly, we will have access to this region,” he added.

He said Pakistan would continue to host training courses for Kyrgyz nationals. “More than 60 young and mid-career diplomats have been provided training at the Foreign Service Academy, Islamabad.”

Courses were also being offered for training in the banking, postal and other sectors, he added.

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sariyev said the close contacts and trust-based relationship between leaders of the two countries played an important role in development of relations.

He said his government was committed to strengthening and expanding cooperation and collaboration with Pakistan in high-priority areas.

He said that because development of Gwadar and Karachi seaports and Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union his country had a unique opportunity to become a bridge between North and South by joining regional transport corridors with an access to the open sea through Pakistan.

Taking this into account, he said, the focus of talks with Pakistan was on developing transport infrastructure which could expand economic ties between the two countries in the sphere of world trade.

He expressed great interest in speedy implementation of the project to export electricity to Pakistan from Central Asia to South Asia — CASA-1000.

“There is good cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan in the field of regional security.” Discussions were held on issues of interaction to address threat posed by the spread of religious radicalism, international terrorism and drug-trafficking.

During the one-to-one and delegation level talks, the two sides noted that relations between the two countries continued to move from strength to strength. But it was stressed that they should ensure that their special ties were transformed into a strategic partnership.

“Our political relations are excellent and defence cooperation is strong and growing. But the trade and economic cooperation must be improved,” Mr Sharif said.

He said Pakistan had a vision of establishing energy and trade corridors with the countries in Central Asia, as it provided the shortest route to the sea for Central Asian Republics.

During the talks it was noted with satisfaction that all necessary agreements regarding CASA-1000 project had been concluded and signed and hoped the construction work would start soon.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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