DPM Dar meets Kyrgyz president, China's foreign minister on sidelines of SCO moot

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday met Kyrgyz Republic President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

Regarding the meeting with Wang, the Foreign Office (FO) said, “The two leaders held a warm and productive exchange of views on bilateral relations, regional developments, and cooperation within multilateral forums.”

It said Dar thanked Wang for “appreciating Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for regional peace and stability”. It added that Wang conveyed his best wishes to Pakistan for its upcoming chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) and hosting of the SCO Summit in 2027.

Meanwhile, Dar also called on Kyrgyz Republic President Zhaparov.

The FO said Dar thanked Zhaparov for the hospitality extended during the SCO meeting.

“The interaction covered regional and global developments, as well as the evolving role of the SCO as an important platform for cooperation,” it said.

DPM Dar also underscored “the importance of continued collaboration among SCO member states as Pakistan prepares to assume the SCO chairmanship for 2026–27.”

Initially formed as a security cooperation group in 2001, the SCO has now evolved into a forum for trade and economic development in the region.

The SCO comprises 10 member states, namely India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The two observer states are Afghanistan and Mongolia.

Earlier this month, President Asif Ali Zardari and Kyrgyzstan’s Zhaparov reaffirmed their commitment to boosting bilateral ties between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, particularly deepening trade, economic and investment cooperation.