PM Shehbaz vows taking Pak-Uzbek trade volume to $2bln

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed the need for a comprehensive roadmap to bolster bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, aiming to reach the $2 billion mark as agreed upon by the leadership of both countries.

During a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev, PM Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s keen interest in strengthening cooperation in multiple sectors, including mining and minerals, railways, Special Economic Zones, banking, tourism, culture, and renewable energy.

The prime minister also conveyed his warm greetings to Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, expressing his deepest gratitude for the hospitality extended during his recent visit to Tashkent.

PM Shehbaz expressed his complete satisfaction at the excellent progress made between the two countries during his visit, which included the formation of a High Level Strategic Cooperation Council, as well as the signing of a number of important agreements and MOUs in various fields.

He told the envoy that upon his return from Tashkent, he had tasked the ministers of relevant areas to ensure prompt follow-up on the decisions taken by the two leaders.

The ambassador told the prime minister that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was fully committed to strengthening Uzbekistan’s ties with Pakistan and to transform the excellent political relations between the two countries into mutually beneficial economic ties.

He also shared that President Mirziyoyev had accepted the prime minister’s invitation to undertake an official visit to Pakistan later this year, the dates for which would be worked out between the two sides.

Earlier last week, PM Shehbaz embarked on an official visit to Uzbekistan and the two countries vowed to take the volume of bilateral trade from current $400 million to $2 billion in the near future, besides agreeing to exploit the immense potential for cooperation in the fields of investment, connectivity and tourism.

The bilateral ties were discussed in the “fruitful” one-on-one meeting and the delegation-level talks between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was on a two-day visit here.

The two leaders, addressing the joint press stakeout, told the media that both sides had agreed for the efforts to realize the “dream” project of Trans-Afghan Railway to connect Central Asia with South Asia, which the prime minister said would be a game changer for the region.