ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for an official visit to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
He was received by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov at Issyk-Kul International Airport. President Zardari was presented with a guard of honour at the airport, marking the beginning of his high-level visit, a Presidency’s news release said.
The visit is of particular significance as President Zardari becomes the first Pakistani head of state to visit Kyrgyzstan since the historic visit of former PM Benazir Bhutto in 1995.
During the visit, President Zardari and President Japarov are expected to hold comprehensive discussions on all aspects of bilateral relations and review cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
The two leaders will explore opportunities to enhance collaboration in trade, investment, energy, mining, agriculture, education, healthcare, tourism, the digital economy and people-to-people exchanges. Regional connectivity and measures to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan will also feature prominently in the discussions.
According to the Foreign Office, President Zardari and President Zaparov will review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and exchange views on regional and international developments.
During his trip, President Zardari will also receive Kyrgyz parliament speaker Marlen Mamataliev for a courtesy call. The FO emphasised that Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan enjoy “warm and fraternal relations, anchored in shared history, faith, culture and common aspirations for peace, connectivity and prosperity”.
Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2026