Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: Press service of the President of Uzbekistan.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a protocol aimed at increasing bilateral trade to $2 billion and giving new momentum to economic cooperation between the two countries. According to the Uzbek president’s press service, such a document has been concluded for the first time in the history of the bilateral partnership.
On February 6, as part of Mirziyoyev’s visit to Islamabad, a business forum was held with the participation of Uzbek and Pakistani business circles. The event brought together more than 300 executives from leading industrial enterprises and trading companies.
In his remarks, the Uzbek leader said that the high-level talks held the day before marked a new stage in relations between the two countries, particularly in trade, economic, and investment cooperation.
He outlined key areas of partnership, including pharmaceuticals and medicine, light industry, mining and metallurgy, geology, and cooperation in food security.
Mirziyoyev invited Pakistani companies to take part in projects to localize the production of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products, and medical equipment in Uzbekistan. He assured business leaders and investors that favorable conditions would be created for them at the Tashkent Pharma Park.
The sides also noted significant potential for cooperation in the joint production of textiles for international brands. Uzbekistan has expressed readiness to transfer enterprises in this sector into trust management and to establish specialized leather industry zones for Pakistani businesses.
Prospects for cooperation in the food industry were also discussed, particularly in the production of potatoes, rice, and meat. Special attention was paid to partnership with Pakistan’s National Institute for Genomics in seed production and breeding.
Logistics was identified as another important area. Freight shipments have already begun along the Pakistan–China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan route, air service to Lahore and Islamabad has been launched, and the Trans-Afghan railway project is moving forward. Starting in April, cargo flights to Karachi and direct passenger flights to Lahore are scheduled to begin.
In addition to the trade agreement, the leaders signed a protocol formalizing the agreements reached, setting deadlines for practical implementation and assigning responsibility to the relevant ministries and agencies of both countries. Officials were also instructed to develop a comprehensive roadmap and introduce a mechanism for the prompt resolution of emerging issues.
