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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spent two days on an official visit to Uzbekistan. He reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, expanding trade, and enhancing regional connectivity.
Reportedly, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spent two days on an official visit to Uzbekistan. He reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, expanding trade, and enhancing regional connectivity.
According to a joint declaration issued on behalf of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Wednesday, both leaders expressed satisfaction over the progress made in Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations over the last diplomatic ties of 33 years ago.
During the talks, the two leaders discussed how to make their partnership stronger, shared their thoughts on current and future cooperation in different areas, and talked about important regional and global issues.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties and improving cooperation in a way that benefits both countries and promotes peace and stability in their regions.
They acknowledged the steady progress in their relationship and reaffirmed their dedication to agreements made on July 16, 2021, and March 4, 2022. Both sides expressed a strong desire to support each other’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
They emphasized the need to maintain regular political discussions, both formally and informally. In this context, they welcomed the positive outcomes of the Astana Conference on October 13, 2022, and the Baku COP-29 Summit on November 12, 2024.
The leaders also stressed the importance of strengthening ties between their parliaments, as this would enhance political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation and deepen their nations’ traditional friendship.
They highlighted the results of the 9th Session of the Joint Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, held in Tashkent on November 3-4, 2024.
Both countries agreed to expand trade and industrial cooperation to boost economic growth and improve the well-being of their people. They set a target to increase trade to $2 billion within four years by implementing agreements from 2021 and 2023, encouraging investment in Special Economic Zones, and promoting business-to-business collaborations.
The leaders emphasized the importance of regional connectivity for economic growth. They recognized the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan trade route as the most efficient for the region and reaffirmed their commitment to developing the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project. They also agreed to work on improving transportation links and increasing trade efficiency.
They highlighted the importance of the Trans-Afghanistan Railroad project and reiterated their commitment to the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kharlachi.
Uzbekistan and Pakistan pledged to strengthen cooperation on the global stage and support each other in peace initiatives. They agreed to coordinate their policies through diplomatic channels and within international organizations such as the UN, OIC, ECO, SCO, and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Recognizing global challenges, both sides stressed the need to enhance the role of the United Nations in solving international issues, ensuring sustainable development, and maintaining security and stability worldwide. They also promised to support each other’s candidates for key international positions.
