Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye on the way to extending visa-free regime
Speaker of Kyrgyzstan's Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament), Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, began his official visit to Türkiye, Qazinform News Agency cites Kabar.
The visit started with a wreath-laying ceremony at the burial site of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
According to the parliament's press service, the speaker, accompanied by an honor guard, paid tribute to the memory of the Turkish statesman and political figure and left a commemorative note in the Book of Distinguished Guests at the mausoleum.
The parliamentary delegation, led by Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, is in Ankara on an official visit at the invitation of the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Numan Kurtulmuş. The delegation included MPs Alisher Kozuyev, Kunduzbek Sulaimanov, Akylbek Tumonbayev, Nurbek Sydygaliev, Eldar Sulaimanov, Gulai Mashrapova, and Elvira Surabaldiyeva.
Following the ceremony, Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu met with Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Numan Kurtulmuş as part of an official visit to the Republic of Türkiye.
According to the parliament's press service, the parliamentary leaders initially met in a restricted format, then the talks continued in an expanded format.
The parties discussed strengthening political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties between the countries, with a particular focus on expanding interparliamentary cooperation. Turgunbek uulu noted that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's state visit to Kyrgyzstan in 2024 was a historic event, opening a new chapter in the strategic partnership. He emphasized that the close fraternal relations between Sadyr Zhaparov and Recep Tayyip Erdogan create a solid foundation for the further development of cooperation.
The speaker also touched on expanding interparliamentary dialogue and spoke about the need to continue contacts at the level of relevant committees and friendship groups.
During the meeting, he reiterated the goal of increasing trade turnover between the two countries to $5 billion and invited Turkish entrepreneurs to invest in priority sectors such as energy, mining, and industry.
Furthermore, the head of the Parliament proposed extending the visa-free regime between the two fraternal states from 90 to 180 days and noted that Kyrgyzstan expects athletes and official representatives from Türkiye to participate in the 6th World Nomad Games this year. Turgunbek uulu shared his views on cooperation in education, adding that the two countries' partnership in this area serves as a model for other countries. He cited Manas University as an example and expressed confidence that it will soon become one of the world's top 500 universities.
Kurtulmuş, in turn, noted that Türkiye is interested in collaborating with the fraternal Kyrgyz people in all areas. He added that developing cooperation in healthcare and education is a priority, noting that a number of joint projects are already underway in these areas.
As Qazinform reported earlier, Kyrgyzstan and France discussed direct flights.
