Ambassador of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan Ulanbek Totuiaev has said that his country wants to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and reap benefits from the incredible trade opportunities offered by the Gwadar port.
Addressing a seminar titled “Business, Education and Tourism Opportunities in Kyrgyzstan” organized by Riphah International University on Tuesday, Dec. 7, Ulanbek Totuiaev said that through CPEC Pakistan will offer tremendous opportunities to Kyrgyzstan adding that the Gwadar would help boost peace and prosperity in the region.
“Rapidly growing Gwadar port presents a good opportunity to Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, to benefit from the region and the reach global markets. According to the ambassador, regional cooperation and trade connection between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan through CPEC and Gwadar would help boost peace and prosperity in the region.”
The Kyrgyz envoy highlighted that the geostrategic position of Kyrgyzstan – situated at the intersections between Central Asia and China and further through the Karakoram Pass to Pakistan – provides tremendous opportunities for establishing ties in all areas of mutual interest, regional trade and economic cooperation.
The envoy also highlighted that the Pakistan was the first country to recognize the independence of Kyrgyzstan and that the two countries share a strong friendly bonding that has further strengthened through mutual assistance and cooperation.
The Kyrgyz underlined that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have enjoyed tremendous political relations. During the last 30 years, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan exchanged visits on the highest levels, including two presidential visits. Kyrgyz Prime Ministers visited Pakistan twice while Pakistani Prime Ministers visited Kyrgyzstan four times and Speakers of the Kyrgyz parliament visited Pakistan twice.
He said economic cooperation and bilateral trade were presently low and do not match the potential of the two countries.
“Our country is a dynamically developing diversified economy, where foreign investors are widely represented, including from Pakistan. Investing in the Kyrgyz Republic is profitable and easy as the main factors are the liberal trade regime, full protection of investments, and unlimited repatriation of profits, as well as currency exchange freedom, low business costs, an educated workforce, and direct access to state authorities.”
The seminar was organized by The Diplomatic Insight, Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, Riphah Institute of Public Policy, Riphah International University