TASHKENT: Prime Minister Imran Khan today (Thursday) emphasized that strong bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan would be mutually beneficial to a win-win situation for the two sides.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while addressing a joint press conference with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev after holding an in-depth discussion on various issues of mutual interest.
“Uzbekistan can benefit from Pakistan’s geo-strategic location, a market of 220 million people and providing access to Middle East and Africa, while Pakistan can have access to Central Asian States through Uzbekistan,” he remarked.
Stressing on the importance of economic cooperation, the premier said that the two countries were following similar visions of new Uzbekistan and new Pakistan to lift their people out of poverty.
“It was a model of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W) who established the first welfare state and ensured inclusive development by taking care of the poor and downtrodden,” he pointed out.
PM Imran said that Pakistan with a shift in its from geo-strategic to geo-economics wanted to strengthen its trade and economic relations, adding, Pakistan’s seriousness to have strong trade and economic relations could be gauged from the visit of biggest-ever country’s trade delegation comprising over 130 large business houses.
He said that when he was leaving for Tashkent, he received messages from a number of Pakistani businessmen expressing their desire to be part of the delegation. He also welcomed the agreements signed between the two countries’ private sectors and said it was very important and would benefit the two countries.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan wanted to benefit from the expertise of Uzbekistan, which manufactured agricultural implements. “Pakistan had also sought help and cooperation from Uzbekistan in cotton seed,” he added.
Imran Khan said that during the talks the two sides also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, adding, as the brotherly people of Afghanistan were suffering from hardships for the last 40 years.
He said that the two sides also agreed to arrange a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran and Turkey before a summit-level meeting to discuss Afghan situation and find a way to avoid civil war in the brotherly country,
The Prime Minister said that when people of the two countries will get closer through enhanced cultural exchanges and relations, he will also introduce and work for the promotion of cricket in Uzbekistan.
