PM Shehbaz arrives in Uzbekistan on 2-day visit to boost bilateral ties

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Uzbekistan on Tuesday on a two-day official visit to enhance bilateral relations with the Central Asian country.

Pakistan and Uzbekistan have strengthened ties through trade and economic cooperation. A $1 billion trade deal was signed in 2023, and plans for further collaboration, including a roadmap for industrial cooperation, show the two sides’ commitment to boosting regional connectivity.

Last month, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Alisher Tukhtayev, had announced his government’s plan to introduce a new direct flight route between Tashkent and Karachi this year, describing it as a “significant step to foster closer ties between the two nations”.

Upon his arrival in the capital of Tashkent, the prime minister was received by Uzbekistan’s PM Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, state-owned Radio Pakistan reported today.

PM Shehbaz is visiting the country at the official invitation of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“The prime minister and president of Uzbekistan, during their meeting, will discuss all areas of bilateral cooperation including connectivity, economic cooperation, trade, investment, energy, defence and security, regional stability, and education,” the report said.

It further said that the prime minister was set to address the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum, where businessmen from both countries would be present, to enhance bilateral ties.

During the visit, several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements between the two countries were expected to be signed, according to the report.

Earlier this month, Ambassador Tukhtayev had met with the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he stressed that Uzbek investors were keen to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan, particularly Balochistan.

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In May last year, the foreign ministers of both countries met, underscoring their countries’ commitment to the swift completion of a planned railway link that would traverse Afghanistan.

The bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan has grown substantially over the last few years, from $27 million in 2019-20 to $126m in 2022-23.

PM Shehbaz was recently on a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan, where he and President Ilham Aliyev finalised matters related to $2bn of investments by Baku in Pakistan.