Pakistan, Uzbekistan agree to boost bilateral ties

Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday expressed commitment to revive the traditional cooperative partnership through improved connectivity to boost bilateral ties, reported Radio Pakistan.

At a joint press conference with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan said it was a matter of satisfaction that trade between the two countries increased by 50 percent in the last year while joint ventures between the business communities of the two countries enhanced by 5 percent.

PM Imran said we have decided to resume direct flights between the two countries that will not only improve connectivity but will also help promote tourism and trade.

He said the planned train route with Uzbekistan will help boost linkages with the Central Asian countries, which will also benefit Afghanistan.

The premier said that he also shared Pakistan's narrative on India's human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) with the Uzbek president.

The Prime Minister stressed that the United Nations (UN) should fully implement the international law against human rights violations in IIOJK.

Talking about Afghanistan, PM Imran said that Pakistan and Uzbekistan would lobby to unfreeze Afghan assets that were frozen by the international community.

"We have decided, we will try our best that the Afghan funds that have been frozen [...] we will lobby on this," he said.

Earlier, the two countries signed different Memorandum of Understandings including Strategic Partnership and Preferential Trade Agreement. Prime Minister Imran Khan and the President of Uzbekistan witnessed the ceremony.

Uzbek premier Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived on an official state visit to Pakistan earlier today. On his arrival at Noor Khan Airbase, he was welcomed by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“The state visit of President Mirziyoyev would mark historic commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan,” the Foreign Office (FO) had earlier said in a statement.

During the visit, the two leaders are set to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations including cooperation in political, trade and economic, connectivity, education, culture, security, and defence domains.

State visit begins Thursday: Uzbek President to discuss trans-Afghan railway project: FO

They will have a wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues. A number of bilateral agreements/MoUs will be signed, FO said.

The two countries will sign a preferential trade agreement to lower duties on nearly three-dozen products in the range of 20% to 100%.

Meanwhile, President Mirziyoyev will also have a separate meeting with President Arif Alvi.