Pakistan, Uzbekistan Pledge Stronger Ties
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have expressed their determination to boost furthermore economic, trade, and diplomatic cooperation and agreed to increase the bilateral trade volume from $400 million to $2 billion.
In addition, it has been announced to further expand cooperation in other sectors such as minerals, tourism, agriculture, science and technology, and communications, including the Trans-Afghan Railway project.
In a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Uzbek President Shaukat Mirziyoyev on Wednesday, the two countries emphasized the strong partnership.
In a joint press conference, the Prime Minister described Uzbekistan as a reliable partner of Pakistan and said that trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is in the interest of both.
He called the Trans-Afghan Railway project a game changer for the entire region and said that peace and stability in Afghanistan are indispensable for regional development.
President Shaukat Mirziyoyev said on the occasion that despite global challenges, relations between the two countries are a guarantee of a bright future.
He announced the promotion of bilateral trade and an increase in air flights, saying that Uzbekistan would further strengthen its sincere friendship with Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the leadership of the President of Uzbekistan on this occasion and said that after assuming power in 2016, President Mirziyoyev put Uzbekistan on the path of development, as a result of which the poverty rate has reduced from 42 percent to 8 percent.
He said that Pakistan is also moving forward with the same determination for the revival and development of the economy, as a result of which inflation has come down from 38 percent to 2.4 percent, while the interest rate has come down from 22 percent to 12 percent.
Various agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed between the two countries on this occasion.
The Prime Minister said that it has been agreed to increase cooperation in minerals, mining, investment, tourism, and other sectors and its practical steps will be seen soon.
He invited Uzbek investors to invest in Pakistan, saying that cooperation in economic zones between the two countries would open new doors for development.
The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s continued support for the oppressed people of Gaza and said that the Palestinian issue should be resolved by UN resolutions.
He added that the people of Kashmir have been making sacrifices for the right to self-determination for seven decades and Pakistan will continue to support them.
Terming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit as historic, the Uzbek President said that concrete steps are being taken to promote investment and trade between the two countries.
He said that joint projects will be worked on in pharmaceuticals, textiles, leather industry, agriculture, and other sectors.
The two leaders also discussed the stability of Afghanistan, the unity of the Muslim Ummah, and the situation in the Middle East.
They agreed that the soil of Afghanistan should not be used for terrorism against any country.
President Mirziyoyev said that the Trans-Afghan Railway project is of key importance for promoting trade and people-to-people contacts.
The Uzbek President, while expressing his best wishes to the Pakistani people and leadership, said that he would soon visit Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The two leaders agreed to formulate a comprehensive strategy to promote bilateral relations and announced the creation of a roadmap in this regard.
