Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on Thursday that Pakistan would work “very carefully” with Uzbekistan on regional connectivity, highlighting that the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan could be a “sport changer”.
“I need to guarantee you that I’ll work very carefully with you for regional connectivity, as we each are in complete settlement that the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan rail challenge will probably be a sport changer, not just for our international locations however for all the area.
“And in that, we’re prepared to affix arms and work collectively to lift funds for this challenge on the premise of our feasibility and marketing strategy,” he stated.
The premier gave this assurance to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who’s on a two-day go to to Pakistan, at a ceremony held in Islamabad for the alternate of paperwork pertaining to agreements and memoranda of understanding (M0U) signed between the 2 international locations.
PM Shehbaz expressed his delight that the Uzbek president and his delegation visited Islamabad, his “second house”, for the second time in 4 years.
“I wish to avail of this chance, my pricey brother, Mr. President, to congratulate you for being awarded the diploma of professor and physician by NUST College Islamabad, to your meritorious companies, your unwavering dedication and your dedication to serve not solely our brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan, however your nice contribution in selling peace, progress and prosperity in neighboring international locations,” the premier stated.
He additionally congratulated Mirziyoyev on being awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his companies and contributions to transform pleasant relations into financial cooperation, commerce, and funding in varied sectors.
“I feel, Mr. President, if we had a much bigger title and award, you’d have been the fittest participant for this award,” PM Shehbaz remarked.
“Pakistan and Uzbekistan have deep-rooted historic, non secular and cultural relations, related by the traditional Silk Route, spanning over centuries,” the premier added, mentioning the legacy of the Mughal empire and intellectuals from Samarkand and Bukhara.
“These historic information present a really sound basis of our sturdy relations and a really shiny future,” he emphasised, thanking Mirziyoyev for his management, imaginative and prescient and “dedication to take these relations to heights unknown till this cut-off date”.
Persevering with his remarks, the premier expressed his gratitude for the hospitality he acquired throughout a go to to Uzbekistan final February, however apologized if something was missing within the visiting chief’s reception.
“Clearly, we couldn’t surpass your heat, but when we will match your heat, we’ll have earned our day,” PM Shehbaz acknowledged.
He added that the inaugural assembly of the high-level strategic cooperation council came about earlier at present, including, “this structured mechanism heralds a really shiny future for each our brotherly international locations and folks”.
Addressing Mirziyoyev, PM Shehbaz stated, “I do know for a truth, and not using a ray of flattery in any respect, that you’re a man of motion. You converse much less and also you act extra.
“At present’s signing of this protocol … is a good manifestation of our dedication to work collectively, improve and develop our financial relations within the fields of agriculture, prescribed drugs, textiles, leather-based, leather-based footwear, tourism, IT and so forth and so forth,” he added.
Furthermore, the premier spoke a few working group that might be constituted between Islamabad and Tashkent, which “will work day in day trip to chart out a five-year plan which can cowl all spheres of our financial exercise”.
He talked about that Haroon Akhtar, Minister of State for Industries and Manufacturing, would symbolize Pakistan on the committee.
“This will probably be a sport changer. It will actually transfer in direction of a cooperation which the world won’t have noticed earlier than,” the premier maintained.
Each leaders additionally agreed to quarterly overview conferences to evaluate the efficiency and progress of this association.
“As an alternative of getting Zoom conferences, Mr President, let’s put protocols and formalities apart; I’ll, with my delegation, land in Tashkent, drive straight to your workplace, have a two-hour working session and return,” PM Shehbaz stated, suggesting that for the assembly after, the Uzbek president and his delegation may come to Islamabad for the overview assembly and go away the identical day.
“This will probably be a certain and assured discussion board to have nice achievements and dividends for instances to come back,” he acknowledged.
Moreover, the premier expressed delight that Uzbekistan was a part of the Board of Peace initiative, chaired by United States President Donald Trump.
“Collectively, hopefully, we are going to, underneath the chairmanship of President Trump, have long-lasting peace in Gaza, its reconstruction and hopefully materialize the two-state answer of Palestine,” PM Shehbaz stated.
“We thanks additionally to your help to the reason for the folks of Kashmir, and collectively, we are going to work for peace and prosperity, not just for our two international locations however for the area.”
MoUs and agreements
It was introduced on the ceremony, which was broadcast reside on tv, that 28 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) had been signed between the 2 international locations. Twenty paperwork pertaining to those offers had been exchanged within the presence of PM Shehbaz and Uzbek President Mirziyoyev.
The agreements and memoranda signed between the 2 sides lined a number of areas, together with an motion plan for protection cooperation, ecology local weather change and catastrophe threat discount, catastrophe administration, cooperation in agriculture, protocol on sanitary necessities for exports of fruits, cooperation within the space of mining and geosciences, switch of sentenced individuals and cooperation on combating drug trafficking.
On the ceremony, an honorary diploma of Doctorate of Philosophy and honorary title of professor was conferred on the Uzbek president in recognition of his “distinctive contributions.” […] in direction of fostering sturdy bilateral ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and selling peace and growth within the area”.
Uzbek president’s arrival
Upon his arrival at Nur Khan Airbase, the Uzbek president was acquired by PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari.
A put up on the President Secretariat’s X account stated: “A heat welcome to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan! President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz acquired the Uzbek president at Noor Khan Airbase at present. This go to marks a major step in strengthening bilateral ties and regional connectivity.”
In line with state-run APPData Minister Attaullah Tarar and Particular Assistant to the PM on Trade and Manufacturing Haroon Akhtar had been additionally current on the Nur Khan Airbase to welcome the Uzbek president.
Mirziyoyev was welcomed with a 21-gun salute, the APP report stated.
It added {that a} well turned out contingent of the Pakistan armed forces introduced a static salute to the visiting dignitary, and the tri-services band additionally delivered a efficiency.
The International Workplace (FO) earlier stated that the Uzbek president was endeavor the official go to to Pakistan on the invitation of PM Shehbaz.
In its assertion, the FO stated that the President Mirziyoyev would lead a high-level delegation comprising cupboard ministers and enterprise leaders.
It stated that the visiting dignitary would meet President Zardari, maintain delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz, and handle the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Enterprise Discussion board.
The FO added that this was the Uzbek president’s second go to to Pakistan, as he had final visited Pakistan in 2022.
The go to “displays the upward trajectory in Pakistan-Uzbekistan bilateral relations and the brotherly ties between the 2 brotherly international locations, rooted in widespread historical past, religion and customary aspirations for peace and prosperity in Central and South Asia”, it stated.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have strengthened ties by way of commerce and financial cooperation. A $1 billion commerce deal was signed in 2023, and plans for additional collaboration, together with a roadmap for industrial cooperation, present the 2 sides’ dedication to boosting regional connectivity.
Final month, the 2 international locations agreed to develop bilateral commerce to $2 billion as PM Shehbaz met with President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent.
The Embassy of Uzbekistan stated final week that President Mirziyoyev’s go to to Pakistan was anticipated to mark a brand new section in bilateral relations.
