LAHORE: Deputy Governor of Namangn Region, Uzbekistan & Head of Uzbek delegation Inamov Okibjon Odiljonovich has invited Pakistani businessmen to visit Uzbekistan and avail benefit from the opportunities through joint ventures with their Uzbek counterparts. He was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Mian Tariq Misbah presented the address of welcome while Vice President Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry also spoke on the occasion.
The Deputy Governor said that Uzbekistan is keen to enhance trade relations with Pakistan as both countries have great potential to cooperate with each other in many areas of economy. He identified pharmaceutical, tourism, agriculture, food processing, automobile, construction, chemicals, oil & gas, mining and electrical & electronics as other potential areas of mutual cooperation between both countries. He invited the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry to form a sector-specific delegation for Uzbekistan.
He said that role of Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry holds importance for B2B contacts between the two countries. He lauded the hospitality of Pakistan saying that visit to this great country was a right decision.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Mian Tariq Misbah informed the delegation that Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry is the premier business support organisation of Pakistan with a diverse membership base that exceeds 29,000. Whenever the foreign trade missions visit Pakistan, they also grace Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry with their visit. He hoped that the visit of Government Officials and private sector representatives from Namangan Region, that is the eastern part of Uzbekistan, will initiate a new era of close cooperation between two countries.
He said that the Government of Uzbekistan deserves appreciation for sending this high profile delegation to Pakistan in continuation of a virtual summit held between the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan and the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in April this year. During this summit, multiple MoUs were signed and both countries agreed to reinforce ties in a number of sectors.
Mian Tariq Misbah said that absence of banking Channel, difficulties in land route and communication are some of the major bottlenecks behind low trade volume. Lahore Chamber has also participated in sessions arranged in connection with Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Uzbekistan. Hopefully, this PTA will open new avenues of economic cooperation between two countries.
"We are hoping that Trans-Afghan Railway Line Project agreed among Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan will play key role in linking up the Central Asian transport network with Pakistan's seaports of Gwadar and Karachi," the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry President added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021