ISTANBUL

Foreign ministers from Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan discussed cooperation in several mutually beneficial projects in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

A statement issued by the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry late Monday said Jeenbek Kulubaev and Ishaq Dar discussed developing mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, textile industry, tourism, education, health care, and other areas,

The duo met ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Foreign Ministers Council session.

During their meeting, they focused on strengthening economic diplomacy, cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries, and exchanges of high-level visits, the statement said, adding that the two top diplomats also stressed the importance of intergovernmental commissions and bilateral interactions on the CASA-1000 energy project.

CASA-1000, also known as the Central Asia-South Asia power project, is a $1.16 billion project currently under construction that will allow surplus hydroelectricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to be exported to Afghanistan and then Pakistan.

“​As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to direct efforts to increase the dynamics of mutual visits and strengthen interaction between the business circles of the two countries,” the statement said.

It added that the two parties decided to hold consultations at political, consular, and legal issues at the foreign ministerial level in the near future.