President Asif Ali Zardari and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, today committed to elevating bilateral trade to USD 2 billion and advancing the strategic Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Project during high-level talks in Islamabad on Friday, underscoring a joint effort to enhance regional connectivity and economic partnership.
During the meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari stated that Pakistan attaches great importance to its close and brotherly relations with Uzbekistan, viewing the partnership as a natural and enduring one rooted in shared history, culture, and faith.
He reaffirmed Pakistan”s commitment to working closely with Uzbekistan to further strengthen cooperation in trade, connectivity, defence, security, culture, and heritage, expressing satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.
President Zardari described Mr. Mirziyoyev as a visionary statesman whose leadership has transformed Uzbekistan, acknowledging his personal role in bringing the two nations closer. He expressed confidence that the Uzbek President”s visit would be productive and forward-looking.
Highlighting the steady growth in bilateral trade, President Zardari underscored the necessity of realising the relationship”s true economic potential. He also stressed the need for enhanced collaboration between the financial institutions of both countries, including banks, to better support trade and investment flows.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reciprocated the sentiment, stating that Uzbekistan attaches great importance to strengthening its friendship and strategic partnership with Pakistan. He noted with satisfaction the expansion of trade, an increase in joint ventures, and the implementation of cooperation projects in priority economic sectors.
The Uzbek President announced that two additional direct flights would be introduced, bringing the total number of weekly flights between the nations to six. This measure is intended to further facilitate people-to-people contacts, tourism, and business exchanges.
The two leaders first held a one-on-one meeting to exchange views on key bilateral, regional, and international issues. This was followed by extended talks with their respective high-level delegations, where the regional situation affecting peace, stability, and security was also discussed.
The Pakistani delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Federal Ministers for Commerce and Railways, Mr. Jam Kamal Khan and Mr. Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, respectively.
The Uzbek delegation featured key officials including Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Mr. Laziz Kudratov, and Minister of Defence, Mr. Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov.
Following the discussions, President Zardari conferred the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the nation”s highest civilian honour, upon President Mirziyoyev in a Special Investiture Ceremony. The award recognised his significant contribution to fortifying Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, federal cabinet members, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, and other dignitaries, and was followed by a state banquet hosted in honour of the visiting President.