Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov have discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in economic, trade, energy, transport, agriculture, defense, tourism, cultural and sports fields, stressing the need to activate existing capacities.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and SCO Plus summits in Kyrgyzstan, where President Pezeshkian welcomed stronger ties and thanked the Kyrgyz government and people for their hospitality. He also congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its Independence Day, as well as its chairmanship of the Organization.
The Iranian president said bilateral trade had grown by more than 30 percent in recent years, but remained below the potential of both countries. He said full implementation of Iran’s free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and removal of existing obstacles could significantly increase trade between Iran and Kyrgyzstan.
He welcomed Kyrgyzstan’s proposal to establish a joint refinery, saying Iran could supply the required crude oil while the partners could share the resulting petroleum products. He also highlighted transport and logistics as major areas for cooperation, noting that Iran could provide an effective route for Kyrgyz goods to the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and East Asia.
President Pezeshkian proposed establishing a Kyrgyz logistics center at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, to facilitate trade and transit and enable Kyrgyzstan and other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) members to make greater use of Iran’s transport infrastructure and access to international waters.
He also called for the implementation of agreements reached during Iran’s agriculture minister’s recent visit to Bishkek and urged Kyrgyz authorities to help resolve banking obstacles facing Iranian engineering companies operating in the country.
On security, President Pezeshkian said regional security depends on cooperation among regional countries and rejection of foreign interference. He stressed that Iran’s defense cooperation with other countries is not directed against regional states and is intended to strengthen collective security. He also called for closer coordination within the United Nations, SCO, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
President Pezeshkian further proposed reciprocal visa-free travel for tourists, saying Iran had abolished entry visas for Kyrgyz citizens over the past three years. He said this could increase tourism and eventually support direct flights.
Japarov welcomed deeper cooperation, praised the unity of the Iranian people during the recent war, and expressed sympathy with Iran. The Kyrgyz president said he would review Iran’s proposal on visa-free tourism and described the 2025 bilateral memorandum as a basis for expanding cooperation.
He also invited capable Iranian oil exploration companies to cooperate with Kyrgyzstan and expressed readiness to deepen sports ties. He also welcomed expanded cultural exchanges and scientific cooperation to further strengthen historical ties between the two nations.