ISLAMABAD (MNN); Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday signed a landmark protocol aimed at increasing bilateral trade to $2 billion over the next five years, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held extensive talks in Islamabad.
The protocol was among 28 agreements and memoranda of understanding signed on the first day of President Mirziyoyevâs two-day official visit to Pakistan. Under the agreement, a joint working group will be established to formulate a five-year roadmap identifying priority sectors for trade and economic cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said the talks were warm and highly productive, covering trade, investment, regional connectivity, education, culture, and global and regional issues. He congratulated President Mirziyoyev on being awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan, Pakistanâs highest civil honour.
According to officials, agreements were signed in diverse areas including defence cooperation, climate change, disaster management, agriculture, mining, pharmaceuticals, sports, IT and digital technologies, maritime trade, SMEs, and combating drug trafficking. Protocols were also signed to expand the list of goods under the Preferential Trade Agreement and to establish a PakistanâUzbekistan Interregional Forum.
In defence, both sides agreed on an action plan to enhance military cooperation. In the digital sector, an MoU was signed to promote collaboration in innovation, digital infrastructure and technology exchange. Maritime cooperation agreements aim to promote trade through Karachi, Gwadar and Port Qasim.
Academic and research cooperation was strengthened through agreements between universities and think tanks of both countries. City-to-city partnerships were also announced between Islamabad and Samarkand, and Peshawar and Termez, alongside the establishment of a joint business council.
Addressing the ceremony, PM Shehbaz highlighted the deep historical, cultural and spiritual ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, rooted in the ancient Silk Route. He described the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project as a potential game changer for regional connectivity and pledged joint efforts to mobilise funding for it.
President Mirziyoyev described Pakistan as Uzbekistanâs closest and most reliable partner in South Asia, praising the reforms and economic progress under PM Shehbazâs leadership. He termed the newly signed protocol historic, calling it the first of its kind in Uzbekistanâs diplomatic history.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expanding trade, strengthening defence and security cooperation, promoting peace in the region, and enhancing collaboration in education, science, technology and connectivity.
