Lahore: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade, and enhancing regional connectivity during the prime minister’s official visit to Uzbekistan.
A joint declaration issued on Wednesday highlighted both leaders’ satisfaction with the progress in Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations since establishing diplomatic ties 33 years ago. They expressed determination to further strengthen cooperation in political, economic, and strategic domains.
During discussions, the two leaders reviewed ways to deepen their strategic partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional peace and stability. They emphasized the significance of their Strategic Partnership Declarations of 2021 and 2022 and pledged to support each other’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
They also acknowledged the importance of regular political dialogue and inter-parliamentary ties to enhance bilateral cooperation in political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian sectors.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to expand trade and industrial cooperation to enhance economic potential and improve the well-being of their populations. A key target is to increase trade turnover to $2 billion over the next four years. This will be achieved through the implementation of the Transit Trade Agreement (2021) and Preferential Trade Agreement (2023), as well as investment facilitation in Special Economic Zones.
The outcomes of the 9th Session of the Joint Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, held in Tashkent in November 2024, were acknowledged as crucial in shaping economic collaboration.
Recognizing the role of connectivity in regional integration and economic growth, both leaders underscored the significance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) corridor as a key trade route.
The two countries reiterated their commitment to the UAP Railway Project and the broader Trans-Afghanistan Railroad construction project to enhance transport efficiency. They agreed to intensify cooperation on multimodal transport corridors to facilitate smoother regional trade.
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Pakistan and Uzbekistan pledged to support each other in international organizations, including the UN, OIC, ECO, SCO, and NAM, and to work together in promoting peace initiatives. Pakistan reaffirmed its backing of Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Both leaders emphasized the need for Afghanistan’s peaceful transformation to ensure regional security. They also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, advocating for a sovereign state based on pre-1967 borders.
Further, they committed to promoting interfaith harmony, combating Islamophobia, and enhancing solidarity among Muslim countries.
The two sides expressed readiness to enhance cooperation in education, science, healthcare, tourism, IT, and sports. Pakistan welcomed Uzbekistan’s hosting of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2025.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Uzbek people for their hospitality and extended an invitation for the Uzbek leader to visit Pakistan. President Mirziyoyev accepted, with the visit date to be finalized through diplomatic channels.
The agreements and discussions held during this visit mark a new phase in Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations, reinforcing their strategic partnership and commitment to regional prosperity.
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