Islamabad welcomes Kyrgyz president on first state visit after 20 years

• 21-gun salute presented to President Zhaparov upon arrival.
• Kyrgyz president set to meet Pakistan’s political leadership.
• Visit includes address to Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Business Forum.

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday on a two-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz, and members of the federal cabinet received President Zhaparov upon arrival in the federal capital.

A 21-gun salute was presented in honour of the Kyrgyz president while children, dressed in traditional attire, offered him a bouquet of flowers.

The Kyrgyz president is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior cabinet ministers, top officials and prominent business leaders.

This is the first presidential visit from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan in two decades, the last having taken place in January 2005.

Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Kyrgyz leader was making his maiden state visit to Pakistan from December 3-4, with meetings planned with the country’s top leadership.

“During the visit, President Zhaparov is expected to meet the President of Pakistan, hold a tête-à-tête followed by delegation-level talks with the Prime Minister, and address the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Business Forum,” it added.

Discussions are scheduled on bilateral relations and on exploring new avenues to further deepen cooperation across a range of sectors, including trade, energy, defence, education, people-to-people exchanges, and regional connectivity.