ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Tashkent on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov received him on his arrival at the Tashkent International Airport. The prime minister was accompanied by Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Minister for Information Technology Atif Khan.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi joined from Tajikistan after concluding his official visit. “The Prime Minister’s visit to Uzbekistan is important in terms of cooperation on matters relating to regional and bilateral trade, international relations and security,” the PM Office said.
During the visit, several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding will be signed between the two countries on various issues of common interest.
These include the areas such as transportation of goods, cooperation between the two chambers of commerce, trade, education, culture, and tourism. He will also participate in the International Conference on “Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity: Challenges and Opportunities.”
The conference will be attended by ministers and high-level representatives from Central and South Asia as well as other important countries, international organizations, financial institutions, think-tanks and scholars.
In his interactions during the visit, the prime minister will highlight his vision of ‘Naya Pakistan,’ Pakistan’s positive contribution to peace and security at the regional and international level, and shift from geo-politics to geo-economics.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoy historic fraternal relations, marked by mutual respect and rooted in common culture and similar traditions.
In recent years, Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations have witnessed an upward trajectory. The leaders of the two countries have interacted twice before on the sidelines of BRI Forum in Beijing and SCO Summit in Bishkek. They also held a Virtual bilateral Summit on April 14, 2021.
Pakistan has deepened its engagement with Central Asia through its ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy focusing on five key strands — political, trade and investment
