The SCO chairmanship will be at the centre of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s three-day official visit to Bishkek, where he is set to represent Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of State meeting and engage with leaders from participating countries.

Shehbaz departed for Kyrgyzstan on Monday, August 31, for a visit running through September 2, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office. The visit comes as Pakistan prepares to assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27.

During his stay in Bishkek, the prime minister will attend the SCO summit as well as the SCO Plus Summit. He is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games as a special guest.

The visit will provide an opportunity for Pakistan to present its position on regional and international developments while seeking stronger cooperation with other SCO members. Shehbaz is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several participating leaders, with discussions expected to cover trade, investment, regional connectivity and other issues of mutual interest.

A key engagement will be his meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. The two leaders are expected to review the full range of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and explore ways to expand economic and diplomatic cooperation.

Their discussions are likely to focus on trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. Regional and international developments, as well as cooperation through multilateral forums, will also feature in the talks.

Shehbaz is being accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, along with other senior officials.

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The Foreign Office said the prime minister’s visit was taking place at the invitation of President Zhaparov and would help build on recent high-level contacts between the two countries.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have sought to expand their economic partnership in recent years. During President Zhaparov’s visit to Pakistan in December 2025, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, energy and regional connectivity while reaffirming their commitment to regional peace and stability.

The two countries have also set a target of increasing bilateral trade to $200 million by 2027-28. Agreements and memorandums of understanding have been signed in areas including commerce, energy, mining, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, culture and customs cooperation.

Regional connectivity remains another important area of cooperation. Islamabad and Bishkek have supported the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project and welcomed the operationalisation of a road corridor under the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement.

Shehbaz’s visit is also notable because it follows President Asif Ali Zardari’s four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan in July. That trip marked the first visit by a Pakistani head of state to the Central Asian country in 21 years.

The latest diplomatic engagement reflects Pakistan’s efforts to deepen ties with Central Asian states and expand economic connectivity beyond traditional regional partners.

With Pakistan taking the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026-27, Islamabad is expected to use the platform to highlight regional connectivity, economic cooperation, peace and shared development priorities across the wider Eurasian region.