ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is expected to import three million bales of cotton, worth $1.9 billion, this year to address a shortfall in domestic production. This creates new opportunities for Kyrgyz exporters.
This was revealed at the Kyrgyzstan-Pakistan Business Forum held on Thursday in Bishkek. The event was organized by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic in collaboration with the Kyrgyzstan Trade House Lahore and the Embassy of Pakistan in Bishkek.
A 14-member Pakistani business delegation, led by Mehr Kashif Younas (Kyrgyz Honorary Consul in Lahore) and Dr. Shahid Hasan (President of Kyrgyzstan Trade House Lahore), participated in the forum. The delegation represented various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, textiles, steel, agro-food, logistics, and tourism.
On the Kyrgyz side, the forum was attended by numerous private sector companies, major Chambers of Commerce and Industry, including the CCI, the International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Eurasian Business Group. Members of the diplomatic corps and representatives from Kyrgyz media were also present.
Speaking at the event, Avazbek Atakhanov, Kyrgyz Ambassador to Pakistan, emphasized the growing trade and commercial relations between the two countries. He stressed the importance of establishing reliable connectivity and strengthening banking channels to further enhance trade. He also mentioned that Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan were working on signing a transit trade agreement to facilitate smoother trade between the two nations.
Ambassador Hasan Zaigham highlighted that Kyrgyzstan had demonstrated one of the highest economic growth rates globally, at 9.2% this year. He noted that regular business delegation visits and participation in trade fairs would play a key role in achieving the goal of increasing bilateral trade.
It was also noted that despite the potential for trade, the volume remains significantly below expectations due to a lack of awareness about available business opportunities. With Pakistan planning to import 3 million bales of cotton worth $1.9 billion to address its domestic shortfall, new opportunities are opening for Kyrgyz exporters, especially given that Kyrgyzstan produces over 600,000 tons of cotton annually.
Tolkunai Taalaybekova, Vice President of the Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry, underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation in logistics, transport, technology, innovation, culture, education, and tourism. She also highlighted that several large Pakistani companies in the textile, pharmaceutical, and agriculture sectors were already operating in Kyrgyzstan, taking advantage of the Bishkek Free Economic Zone to expand their businesses. Additionally, a number of Pakistani companies are involved in the trade of medical and industrial goods, as well as developing logistics infrastructure, which further contributes to the growth of trade relations between the two countries.
Mehr Kashif Younas, Kyrgyz Honorary Consul in Lahore, emphasized the need for more business-to-business interactions and extended an invitation to the CCI Kyrgyzstan to send a commercial delegation to Pakistan next year to further strengthen bilateral commercial ties.
At the end of the forum, shields and traditional Pakistani Ajraks were presented as souvenirs to the Vice President of the CCI and both ambassadors by Dr. Shahid Hasan, Mehr Kashif Younas, and the visiting delegation.
This forum marks a significant step toward deepening economic ties and boosting trade between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.
