Pakistan, Uzbekistan to strengthen cooperation in multiple sectors

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday met Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting and discussed further strengthening cooperation in industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, digital technologies, education, culture, defence, and security.

Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Commerce, Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Communications, and Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, were also present.

The Prime Minister extended sincere felicitations to President Mirziyoyev and the brotherly people of Uzbekistan on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence. The Prime Minister recalled the State Visit of President Mirziyoyev to Pakistan in February 2026 and said that the visit and the first ever convening of High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council had given new impetus to the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership.

Prime Minister underlined the need for quick implementation of decisions taken at the leadership level, especially in trade, investment, connectivity and economic cooperation.

He reaffirmed the shared ambition of boosting bilateral trade to US$2 billion by 2029 and advocated for the successful execution of the extended Preferential Trade Agreement, enhanced business-to-business engagement and development of mutually beneficial joint ventures.

On regional connectivity as a common strategic objective, the Prime Minister highlighted the revolutionary potential of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway to link Central and South Asia and provide Uzbekistan access to Pakistan’s seaports. He stressed the importance of making early progress on the Joint Feasibility Study and of better using the existing multimodal transport corridors. The Prime Minister emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to promote Uzbek commerce through its ports and transport infrastructure.

The Prime Minister also favoured greater aviation connection, including attempts to introduce direct Tashkent-Karachi flights.

Thanking Uzbekistan for its support to Pakistan’s upcoming Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State, the Prime Minister reiterated the desire to cooperate closely with Uzbekistan on regional security, connectivity, commerce and sustainable development. He also underlined the continuous cooperation in ECO and other multilateral fora.

The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to further strengthen its Strategic Partnership with Uzbekistan and translate the excellent political ties into substantial economic advantages for the people of both nations.