Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan agree to boost bilateral trade to $200mn in two years

According to Business Recorder, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan agreed on Wednesday to lift their two-way trade to $200 million over the next two years. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at the signing event, described the present annual trade of $16 million as very modest. He was in Kyrgyzstan for three days to take part in a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's heads of state council.

The two governments signed a range of accords covering technology, environment, education, security and trade. Interior ministries agreed a memorandum against narcotics trafficking, while health and education ministries signed separate memoranda on medical and academic cooperation. Transit trade arrangements were finalised, alongside an extradition treaty and a draft pact covering legal help in criminal cases.

Pakistan Post and Kyrgyz Post agreed to work together on mail services and online commerce, while the two chambers of commerce signed a pact to strengthen business ties. Lahore and Osh will form a sister city relationship, and the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority signed an MoU with a Kyrgyz agency on virtual assets.