Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for a three-day official visit to Kyrgyzstan, running from August 31 to September 2, at the invitation of President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting, the Foreign Office said in a statement.
The visit will include participation in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting, alongside bilateral engagements in Kyrgyzstan. Sharif is being accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, and other senior officials.
During his stay in Bishkek, the prime minister will take part in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus Summit, and will formally assume Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-2027. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of participating countries on the sidelines, and will attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games on August 31.
On September 2, Sharif will hold bilateral talks with the Kyrgyz president covering the full spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations. The two sides are expected to comprehensively review bilateral ties and discuss deepening cooperation in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, alongside an exchange of views on regional and international developments of mutual interest.
The Foreign Office described Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan as sharing warm, fraternal relations rooted in shared history, faith, and cultural affinity, along with common aspirations for peace, connectivity, and prosperity across Central and South Asia. It said the visit offers an important opportunity to build on recent high-level exchanges, translate political goodwill into practical cooperation, and further strengthen the partnership between the two countries.
Around a dozen world leaders are expected in Bishkek to mark 25 years of the SCO, which comprises ten member states, India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, alongside observer states Afghanistan and Mongolia. Pakistan is set to assume the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship at this summit, with next year’s Council of Heads of State summit also to be hosted by Islamabad.
