The leaders of Pakistan and Uzbekistan have decided to bring the mutual governmental commission together earlier than planned.
This will give them more time to talk about how to finish the Trans-Afghan Railway project on time, make the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) fully functional, and talk about the mutual Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met today in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the Heads of Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The two leaders talked about the relationship between Pakistan and Uzbekistan as well as other regional and global issues.
The Prime Minister thanked President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his concern and for sending help to the people who were hurt by the floods.
He talked about how terrible the climate-related floods were because they killed people and hurt crops, animals, homes, and important infrastructure.
The talks covered a wide range of topics, including bilateral cooperation, with a focus on trade and economic ties and how rail, road, and seaports connect the region.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said it was important to strengthen political ties and speed up trade and economic cooperation by making the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) fully operational (PTA).
The Prime Minister talked about how important it is to work together more closely on defence and security, as well as in education, culture, and tourism. He said that making visas easier to get would make it easier for businesses in both countries to trade and invest with each other.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan was still committed to finishing the Trans-Afghan Railway project on time.
He also said that he was happy that the technical teams from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan had finished their field trip in Afghanistan successfully. Once this project is done, the seaports of Karachi and Gwadar will connect the countries of Central Asia to the rest of the world.
The two leaders agreed that the Inter-Governmental Commission should meet soon to come up with specific plans and projects to deepen and widen cooperation between Pakistan and Uzbekistan in all areas.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was asked to come to Pakistan by the Prime Minister. The President of Uzbekistan asked the Prime Minister to come to his country.
