TASHKENT, Uzbekistan: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Uzbekistan on Tuesday on a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with the Central Asian country.
The visit follows Shehbaz’s two-day trip to Azerbaijan, where Pakistan and Azerbaijan signed multiple agreements to boost trade, energy, tourism, and education ties.
The Uzbek foreign minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, received Shehbaz Sharif at Tashkent Airport, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan are expected to sign several agreements during the visit, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed.
“The prime minister and the president of Uzbekistan, during the bilateral meeting, will discuss all areas of cooperation, including connectivity, economic, trade, investment, energy, defence, and security, regional stability, and education,” the statement said. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The visit shows Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening ties with Uzbekistan, the Foreign Office added, highlighting efforts to foster economic collaboration and explore new avenues of partnership as part of a broader regional integration strategy.
Shehbaz will also address the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum, where leading business figures from both countries will hold business-to-business (B2B) meetings.
Uzbekistan is the second-largest economy in Central Asia and its largest consumer market. It was the first Central Asian country to sign both a bilateral Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) and a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Pakistan, covering 17 trade items.
In February 2023, Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed a $1 billion trade agreement to facilitate the exchange of goods and services. Last month, the Uzbek Ambassador to Pakistan, Alisher Tukhtaev, also revealed plans to launch direct flights between Uzbekistan and Karachi, further improving connectivity between the two countries.
In November last year, the 9th meeting of the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Intergovernmental Joint Commission (UPIJC) was held in Tashkent, aimed at deepening trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the two nations.
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The Pakistani delegation, led by Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, included representatives from over 30 businesses involved in a diverse range of sectors including food, textiles, pharmaceuticals, automotive, electronics, chemicals, transport, and logistics.
The ambassador emphasised the growing trade potential, noting that bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and Pakistan has tripled in the last five years, increasing from $122 million in 2019 to $387 million in 2023.
