PM Shehbaz calls for expanding bilateral trade with Tajikistan

DUSHANBE: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif urged the need to expand bilateral trade between Pakistan and Tajikistan, saying that the current volume did not reflect the current level of brotherly relationship between the two countries, a state-run News Agency reported.

Addressing a presser along with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, the PM Shehbaz said that both the countries signed several MoUs which he said would be very helpful in furthering their bilateral ties.

“These agreements will go a long way in furthering our brotherly ties and of course, expanding our scope of cooperation in the coming days,” PM Shehbaz added.

The prime minister especially mentioned the agreement over strategic partnership.

PM Shehbaz Sharif also assured Tajik president that he would work closely with him to further cement the brotherly ties not only in fields of agriculture, education, health and promotion of investment but also in the expansion of bilateral trade.

He underlined that both countries need to work closely and fix targets as to how to increase their bilateral trade and investment, citing transportation of goods from the port of Karachi to Tajikistan via Afghanistan and then from Dushanbe to Karachi port via Afghanistan through a rail-road connectivity project.

The prime minister termed this existing opportunity as ‘an area of huge economic importance for both countries’.

The prime minister apprised that he had very fruitful and productive one-on-one meeting with the Tajik president, besides holding delegation level meetings in which they discussed to explore trade and investment opportunities.

He said Pakistan would be keen to be a part of China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan trade corridor project, adding ‘it would be another opportunity to broaden the multilateral trade’ in the region.

He also expressed the confidence that the CASA 1000, would be completed next year bringing prosperity in this region.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also referred to another MoU pertaining to relaxation of visas requirements and said that it would be very helpful for both countries in further achieving their goals.

The prime minister said the two brotherly countries had been the victims of terrorism; Pakistan faced this menace for years and paid a huge price in terms of human lives and of course, suffered from colossal economic losses to the tune of billions of dollars.

Thousands of people from all walks of life laid down their lives to defeat the menace of terrorism, he said, adding the armed forces of Pakistan had been fighting this menace and its officers and Jawans gave huge sacrifices in the line of duty, besides police and other law enforcement agencies personnel also rendered huge sacrifices.

The prime minister also offered cooperation to Tajikistan in this regard and said the two countries could fight this menace collectively wherever it existed and in any shape.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that peace was imperative for the progress and prosperity of the region as it was directly linked with the development of the region.

The prime minister said today, that the world was facing different challenges, the war in Ukraine, and the genocide in Gaza in which almost 40,000 Palestinians had lost their lives including children and mothers had been martyred.

“It is genocide”, he said, adding that mankind had not seen such scale of destruction in recent times.

He said Pakistan had condemned this genocide in the strongest terms.

The prime minister said that Pakistan had raised voice for the support of people of Palestine and maintained that unless their due rights were recognized including the right to freedom as citizens of free Palestine state, permanent peace could not be achieved in the region.

PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan also deeply condemned what was happening in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), he said and reiterated that durable peace could not happen without just solution to the Kashmir issue in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the implementation of resolutions of the United Nations Security Council in this regard.

He also thanked the Tajik president for the warm welcome accorded to him and his delegation and reiterated an invitation to him to visit Pakistan.