The governments of Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan have signed a Transit Trade Agreement aimed at expanding bilateral trade and strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries. The document aims to develop transport and logistics links, simplify transit and customs procedures, and expand Kyrgyzstan’s ability to use Pakistan’s seaports, including Karachi, Bin Qasim, and Gwadar, according to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy and Commerce.
The agreement was signed as part of the official visit of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to Kyrgyzstan on September 2.
Sharif’s negotiations with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek focused on expanding trade and economic ties and implementing joint projects in the transport and energy sectors.
Japarov emphasized that Kyrgyzstan considers Pakistan as a reliable partner in South Asia, and Sharif outlined the goal of increasing bilateral trade turnover to $200 million in the coming years from the current annual figure of $16 million.
Sharif said that Pakistan offers Kyrgyzstan opportunities to open transport routes to its deep-water seaports, including Karachi and Gwadar.
Kyrgyzstan shares no border with Pakistan, and Kyrgyz freights could reach Pakistani ports either through China or via a longer route through Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
In April 2026, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan established a trade route via China that spans about 3,300 kilometers and bypasses Afghanistan.
The route begins in Bishkek, runs through the Torugart border crossing into China, passes through Kashgar and along the Karakoram Highway via the Khunjerab Pass, then enters Pakistan and terminates at the port in Karachi.
According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Transport and Communications, a pilot truck successfully completed the test journey from Bishkek to Karachi in April, providing landlocked Kyrgyzstan with direct access to Pakistani deep-water seaports.
