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ISLAMABAD: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan arrived on Thursday on a two-day state visit wherein he would meet the country’s leadership and discuss the bilateral ties as well as connectivity projects.
The Uzbek president was received by Prime Minister Imran Khan as he alighted from his special aircraft the Nur Khan Airbase. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation including the cabinet members and businessmen. The prime minister, accompanied by Federal Minister Senator Shibli Faraz, warmly welcomed the Uzbek president who is here on his first visit after assuming office in 2016.
The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev (@president_uz) has arrived in Pakistan on two-day official visit.
Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI received him at Noor Khan Airbase.
The Uzbek President was accorded a red carpet welcome.#WelcomeUzbekPresident pic.twitter.com/JiWQd9FRQR
— Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) March 3, 2022
Upon arrival, two children clad in cultural dresses presented a bouquet to the guest as the cannons boomed in the backdrop to herald the arrival of the guest. The smartly turned-out static guards saluted the visiting dignitary as the national flags of Pakistan and Uzbekistan were lined up at the airbase as well as the route of his motorcade.
Ahead of the visit, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Uzbek President’s visit to Pakistan would prove to be a milestone in boosting the existing ties between the two countries in diverse fields. Describing the visit as “historic”, he said it would help expedite implementation of the vision of the two countries’ heads to provide a corridor to the Central Asian states through Afghanistan.
He said work on two major projects has been carried out, while a bus service had already been made fully operational, which had reduced the time of goods transportation to Moscow to 12 days from 25-30 days. He added that Pakistani traders were satisfied with the bus initiative.
Fawad said both Pakistan and Uzbekistan were also working to establish a rail link that would boost trade with the Central Asian states. The proposed rail-link project would also come under discussion during the Uzbek president’s visit, he added.
The minister said the Pak-Uzbek ties touched new heights since Shavkat Mirziyoyev had become head of the state as he was among the personal friends of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said the holding of Uzbekistan National Dress and Fabric Exhibition here was a reflection of the growing linkages between the businessmen of the two countries.