Gilani due in Kyrgyzstan tomorrow
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Mar 14 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will arrive here in the Kyrgyz capital Tuesday on a two-day official visit, with an aim to strengthen bilateral and trade relations.The Prime Minister during his stay will hold talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart Almazbek Atambaev, President Roza Otunbayeva and Speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament. He will also meet the business community and investors in Kyrgyzstan.
During Gilani’s visit to the Central Asian Republic, the two countries are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of Joint Business Council and will discuss ways for effective functioning of ‘Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement’ between Pakistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The Prime Minister’s visit will focus on enhancing the level of bilateral trade, cooperation in connectivity through establishment of direct air links and joint cooperation in infrastructure building.
The two Prime Ministers will also sign a Joint Declaration to significantly enhance level of cooperation between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan in diverse fields.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan will also work on institutionalizing bilateral consultations between their Foreign Ministries and increased government-to-government level cooperation through exchange of parliamentary delegations on regular intervals.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and a 12-member group of Federation of  Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) led by its president Senator Ghulam Ali, are also part of the Prime Minister’s delegation.
Gilani is the first Prime Minister to visit the Kyrgyz Republic in last 15 years. Earlier, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto visited the Central Asian state in 1995 after its independence in 1991.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan enjoy historic relations rooted in culture, traditions and ideology. Cooperation in education sector is an important aspect of the two countries’ relations. At present, around 1,500 Pakistanis are studying in Kyrgyzstan’s educational institutes mainly medical colleges, whereas Kyrgyz students are also getting education in Pakistan in areas including engineering, business administration, information technology and English language.