March 03, 2022: Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday agreed to further deepen their bilateral ties by enhancing regional connectivity, promoting pilgrimage tourism and cultural exchanges, besides reviving the traditional cooperative partnership.
The bilateral ties were discussed in a one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as well as the delegation-level talks held here, which, besides bilateral cooperation, also focused on the issues including the prevailing situation in Afghanistan as well as the Islamophobia.
Following the interaction, both the prime minister and the Uzbek president addressed a joint press stakeout wherein they expressed satisfaction over the increasing volume of bilateral trade and interaction between the two business communities.
Prime Minister Imran Khan told the media that it was pleasing that the bilateral trade had increased by 50% during the last year and the joint ventures between the two business communities had increased five-folds.
He said both sides had agreed to enhance connectivity via Afghanistan not only by road or air but also through train which would connect Pakistan with Centra Asia and vice versa.
The prime minister also apprised the visiting dignitary of Pakistan’s stance on the unabated human rights abuses in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, urging the international community to play its role in the enforcement of the multiple UN Security Council resolutions on the issue.
He told the media that the connectivity projects would not only benefit the people of Pakistan and Uzbekistan but also Afghanistan who had suffered a lot during last 40 years.
He said the two countries decided to lobby for unfreezing the Afghan government’s assets in the foreign banks, besides discussing the ways which could lead towards the recognition of the Afghan government.
In his remarks, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev thanked the government and the people of Pakistan for warm hospitality to his delegation as on his arrival, Prime Minister Imran Khan received him at the airport and later was given a guard of honour at the PM Office.
The Uzbek president appreciated the economic, political and cultural development Pakistan had been achieving under the leadership of Imran Khan.
He said both the countries were not only building the strategic partnership but also a bridge between South Asia and Central Asia.
Mirziyoyev observed that the economic and trade cooperation was growing fast between the two countries and underscored the huge existing opportunities for cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and science and technology.
He said the signing of the preferential trade agreement was another important step in strengthening the bilateral cooperation and added that the two sides pointed out to start work on the train project connecting Pakistan with Uzbekistan via Afghanistan.
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