Tashkent: Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to further expand bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and transport sectors.
The agreement was reached at a meeting between Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at Tashkent.
The Uzbek President fondly recalled his meetings with the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Samarkand and Astana in 2022, and his earlier meetings with the former Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and reiterated deep rooted ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The Uzbek President appreciated Pakistan’s continued support for the trans-Afghan Railway project. Both sides discussed the various options for the funding of railway project that is expected to benefit the whole region.
The President also expressed satisfaction on the increased level of interaction with Pakistan and underlined the need to have even more interaction at all levels. He offered his full support to further deepen the economic cooperation between the two countries.
Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar thanked the President for hosting the Pakistani delegation and hoped that the target set by the Joint Ministerial Commission for enhancing the bilateral trade to the level of One billion US $ is achieved at the earliet as both sides have keen interest. He also conveyed warm wishes to the Uzbek President and people of Uzbekistan from the Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif. He also expressed his positive sentiments for early development of road and rail network between the two brotherly countries that will ultimately pave the way for regional connectivity.
Both sides expressed hope that the operationalization of Preferential Trade Agreement and the Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) will help boost the bilateral trade.
The Joint Ministerial Commission being Co-chaired by Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar is scheduled to meet tomorrow in Tashkent to take up major areas of collaboration between the two countries.
