04.03.22
Uzbekistan and Pakistan intend to increase trade turnover to 500 million dollars in the coming years, and in the long term to bring it to 1 billion. This was stated during a briefing for media representatives following the results of the first day of the state visit of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the UZ agency reported on March 4, 2022.
Speaking to reporters, Shavkat Mirziyoyev once again congratulated the Pakistani people on the upcoming Pakistan Day. The President emphasized that the current visit symbolically takes place on the eve of a great historical event – the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. "Together with Pakistan, we are building a strong bridge of cooperation not only between the two countries, but also between the strategically important regions of Central and South Asia," he stressed.
An important step was the signing of a Preferential Trade Agreement during the visit. Important agreements have been reached on deepening industrial cooperation in such key areas as pharmaceuticals, textiles, leather and footwear, food industry, agriculture, construction, banking and financial sector, etc. As a result of the business events held on the eve of the visit, about 60 new investment and trade agreements worth $ 800 million were signed.
The parties agreed to accelerate the implementation of major joint transport and communication projects aimed at strengthening the interconnectedness of Central and South Asia. The importance of the early start of the construction of the strategic railway "Termez–Mazar-I–Sharif - Kabul - Peshawar", which will open the way for Uzbekistan to international seaports through the territory of Pakistan, was particularly noted.
Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan in the field of security was noted, cooperation in the military-technical sphere, the fight against terrorism, extremism and transnational crime is being strengthened.
The cultural and humanitarian sphere has been identified as one of the most important and promising areas of partnership. "The peoples of Uzbekistan and Pakistan living at the crossroads of the ancient Great Silk Road have long been linked by a common history, a common language and a rich spiritual heritage," Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed.
