Pakistan, Uzbekistan aim to boost bilateral trade to $2bn within next 5 years – Pakistan

Earlier, it was announced at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on television, that 28 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) had been signed between the two countries. Twenty documents pertaining to these deals were exchanged in the presence of PM Shehbaz and Uzbek President Mirziyoyev.

The agreements and memoranda signed between the two sides covered several areas, including an action plan for defence cooperation, ecology climate change and disaster risk reduction, disaster management, cooperation in agriculture, protocol on sanitary requirements for exports of fruits, cooperation in the area of mining and geosciences, transfer of sentenced persons and cooperartion on combatting drug trafficking.

Among the key pacts, an MoU between Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority and Uzbekistan’s Agency for Pharmaceutical Industry Development was signed to enhance cooperation in pharmaceutical products and regulatory functions.

Another MoU on cooperation in sports and physical culture was signed between the Pakistan Sports Board and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Sports.

To enhance trade ties, a protocol on the expansion of the list of goods under the Preferential Trade Agreement, along with an agreement for the establishment of the Pakistan–Uzbekistan Interregional Forum, aimed at strengthening regional and business-to-business cooperation was also signed.

In the defence sector, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Uzbek Defence Minister Shukhrat Khalmukhammedov signed an action plan for defence cooperation.

An agreement on cooperation in combating illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors was signed between the government of Pakistan and the government of Uzbekistan.

In the field of information technology and digital cooperation, an MoU between the Pakistan’s IT ministry and the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan was signed. The agreement aims to promote collaboration in digital infrastructure, innovation and technology exchange.

In the area of trade facilitation and maritime cooperation, an MoU was signed to promote maritime trade and preferential port arrangements at the ports of Karachi, Gwadar and Qasim.

Agreements were also signed to promote industrial cooperation and small and medium enterprises.

Both sides also inked MoUs between academic and research institutions, including the University of Peshawar and Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, and between leading strategic and regional studies institutes of the two countries.

Agreements were also concluded to strengthen municipal and business cooperation, including partnerships between Peshawar and Termez city administrations, Islamabad and Samarkand city administrations, and the establishment of an Uzbekistan–Pakistan Joint Business Council between the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and its Uzbek counterpart.

At the ceremony, an honourary degree of Doctorate of Philosophy and honourary title of professor was conferred on the Uzbek president in recognition of his “exceptional contributions […] towards fostering strong bilateral ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and promoting peace and development in the region”.

Addressing the ceremony, PM Shehbaz expressed his delight that the Uzbek president and his delegation visited Islamabad, his “second home”, for the second time in four years.

“I would like to avail this opportunity, my dear brother, Mr President, to congratulate you for being awarded the degree of professor and doctor by NUST University Islamabad, for your meritorious services, your unwavering dedication and your commitment to serve not only our brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan, but also your great contribution in promoting peace, progress and prosperity in neighbouring countries,” the premier said.

The Uzbek president was awarded that honourary degree and title earlier at the ceremony.

PM Shehbaz also congratulated Mirziyoyev on being awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan, the country’s highest civil honour, for his “services and contributions to converting friendly relations into economic cooperation, trade, and investment in various sectors”.

“I think, Mr President, if we had a bigger title and award, you’d have been the fittest participant for that award [as well],” PM Shehbaz remarked.

He further stated that “Pakistan and Uzbekistan have deep-rooted historical, spiritual and cultural relations, connected by the ancient Silk Route, spanning over centuries.”

In this connection, PM Shehbaz also mentioned the legacy of the Mughal empire and intellectuals from Samarkand and Bukhara.

“These historical facts provide a very sound foundation of our durable relations and a very bright future,” he emphasised, thanking Mirziyoyev for his “leadership, vision and commitment to take these relations to heights not known till this point in time”

The premier also expressed his gratitude for the hospitality he received during a visit to Uzbekistan last February, but apologised if anything was lacking in the visiting leader’s reception.

“Obviously, we could not surpass your warmth, but if we can match your warmth, we have earned our day,” PM Shehbaz stated.

He added that the inaugural meeting of a high-level strategic cooperation council took place earlier today, adding, “This structured mechanism heralds a very bright future for both our brotherly countries and people”.

“I want to assure you that I will work very closely with you for regional connectivity, as we both are in total agreement that the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan rail project will be a game changer, not only for our countries but for the entire region.

“And in that, we are ready to join hands and work together to raise funds for this project on the basis of our feasibility and business plan,” he said.

Addressing Mirziyoyev, PM Shehbaz said, “I know for a fact, without a ray of flattery at all, that you are a man of action. You speak less and you act more.

“Today’s signing of this protocol … is a great manifestation of our commitment to work together, enhance and expand our economic relations in the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, leather, leather shoes, tourism, IT and so on and so forth,” he added.

Moreover, the premier spoke about a working group that would be constituted between Islamabad and Tashkent, which “will work day in day out to chart out a five-year plan which will cover all spheres of our economic activity”.

He mentioned that Haroon Akhtar, Minister of State for Industries and Production, would represent Pakistan on the committee.

“This will be a game changer. This will really move towards a cooperation which the world will not have observed before,” the premier maintained.

Both leaders also agreed to quarterly review meetings to assess the performance and progress of this arrangement.

“Instead of having Zoom meetings, Mr President, let’s put protocols and formalities aside; I will, with my delegation, land in Tashkent, drive straight to your office, have a two-hour working session and return,” PM Shehbaz said, suggesting that for the meeting after, the Uzbek president and his delegation could come to Islamabad for the review meeting and leave the same day.

“This will be a sure and guaranteed forum to have great achievements and dividends for times to come,” he stated.

Additionally, the premier expressed delight that Uzbekistan was part of the Board of Peace initiative, chaired by United States President Donald Trump.

“Together, hopefully, we will, under the chairmanship of President Trump, have long-lasting peace in Gaza, its reconstruction and hopefully materialise the two-state solution of Palestine,” PM Shehbaz said.

“We thank you also for your support to the cause of the people of Kashmir, and together, we will work for peace and prosperity, not only for our two countries but for the region.”

Taking the podium, Mirziyoyev declared that Pakistan was Uzbekistan’s “time-tested and reliable partner and closest friend” in south Asia.

“I’d like to specifically outline that Pakistan, which is developing very rapidly, is achieving higher and higher results and showing that a modern Pakistan can achieve a high level of development,” the Uzbek president said.

He lauded large-scale reforms ensuring public welfare and accelerated economic growth are being implemented under PM Shehbaz’s leadership, adding that these achievements “make us very pleased and very happy to acknowledge, since we consider ourselves your closest friends and a brotherly nation”.

The visiting president expressed his sincere gratitude for “accepting us and welcoming us at such a high-level”, noting that a lot was achieved within a short day.

“Especially, I would like to, on the outset, mention that remarkable outcome of the day [is] that I became a professor and doctor at the same time,” he quipped, adding that he would remember today as “a historic day”.

He hailed the honour as a great achievement and a responsibility.

“Today’s date, I can actually mark in my calendar. For my family, this is a remarkable historic day in which we received such a great honour in Pakistan, and I was also awarded the scientific level of professor and doctor,” the Uzbek president noted.

Mirziyoyev added that he had a brief, but very good, discussion with the president of NUST and mentioned the University of Mining in Uzbekistan, where he promised to establish a chair for NUST and said that he had instructed the university’s head, who is also the Uzbek mining minister, to do so.

“Of course, together with the National University of Science and Technology, the academia of Uzbekistan will be collaborating in close cooperation,” he stated.

“I will make sure that today’s historic day will be just a day when we start a new page in the cooperation and collaboration between the academia of both countries.”

Mirziyoyev promised to make sure that new discoveries would be made and the services of new scholars, scientists, startups and businesses would be provided to both nations.

“This collaboration between the universities shall cover other areas, including the exchange of faculty members of universities and the exchange of students,” the Uzbek president added.

“We have to make sure that this joint work will provide very effective and demanded outcomes, such as in the area of cybersecurity, as well as AI and many other areas. I believe this will be just the start of this great journey of scientific and collaborative work in education and training.”

Continuing his remarks, Mirziyoyev expressed further gratitude for being awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan, calling the honour “a clear sign of respect and the close friendship and brotherly relations between both nations”.

“This is a high level of acknowledgement of the close cooperation, friendship and brotherhood; not just between the heads of states and not towards the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, but to the whole people of Uzbekistan,” Mirziyoyev emphasised.

He added, “We have all the grounds and reasons to assure and announce that today’s discussion, today’s work and the collaboration we had was really a truly historic one.”

The Uzbek president stated that all main issues, ranging from security and defence to political and economic issues, were discussed with the Pakistani side “in a detailed manner”.

“As a result of the talks, we have decided we would sign a protocol that will serve as a basis for signing larger agreements on establishing joint councils and working groups and our means to work further on those issues,” Mirziyoyev said.

According to the Uzbek president, this was the first such protocol signed in the history of Tashkent’s foreign ministry. He hailed the agreement as “a new discovery and a game changer”.

“We, as the heads of the two states, have signed it, and it serves as a fundamental basis and sealing promises from both sides that will deliver on those areas of discussion,” Mirziyoyev said.

Continuing his address, the Uzbek president praised the “very wise people” of Pakistan, emphasising that they have centuries of wisdom and they say “true friendship is the most cherished value of humanity”.

“Of course, the very fact that today we named one of the streets of Islamabad by the name of ‘Tashkent’, this already is a clear sign of the close friendship and brotherhood we have in respect to each other,” he added.

“I’d like to especially thank my dear brother, the honourable prime minister, for accepting our suggestion and permitting to build a park named after our great ancestor Babar in one of the areas of Islamabad. This is a great sign of close friendship and collaboration between us,” he stated, adding that PM Shehbaz suggested establishing a ‘Ferghana Village’ park as well.

The Uzbek president vowed to do his best to deliver and make sure that this park, which will be built in Islamabad, will provide leisure to the people of Islamabad, while teaching them about the two nations’ friendship.

On conflict, Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan had observed many problems within conflicts every day and hailed PM Shehbaz’s efforts to “unite our efforts and to make sure that our position will be united”, starting by providing “long-awaited assistance and support to the people of Palestine, who have been suffering for quite a long time”.

“We will make sure that through our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we’ll be taking each and every step on the basis of the joint agreed actions and plans and each and every initiative will be discussed and agreed upon by both parties,” the Uzbek president vowed.

“If we unite our forces and our efforts, we will be able to cope with any problems and difficulties present nowadays, and what might be emerging in the future as well.”

Separately, state-run PTV News reported that PM Shehbaz and the Uzbek president also held delegation-level talks.

PM Shehbaz welcomed President Mirziyoyev at the PM House today, a statement carried by PTV News said, adding that an official welcome ceremony was held on the occasion, which was followed by a one-on-one meeting and delegation-level talks between the two sides.

“During the talks, the leaders highlighted the positive trajectory of relations marked by common historical, religious and cultural affinities. Their discussions covered the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with special focus on trade and investment, regional connectivity, education and cultural exchanges.

“Views were also exchanged on regional and global issues of mutual interest and concern,” the statement said.

It added that the two leaders expressed satisfaction over the growing high-level interactions and regular meetings of bilateral institutional mechanism in diverse sectors.

They also welcomed the operationalisation of the High-Level Strategic Consultative Council (HLSCC), which would enable effective implementation of the decisions taken by the leadership. The HLSCC mechanism was established during the visit of PM Shehbaz to Tashkent in February 2025.

“The two leaders also committed to make concerted efforts to implement the roadmap agreed between the two sides in the follow-up of the PM’s visit to Tashkent,” the statement said.

It added that on regional connectivity, the two leaders appreciated ongoing efforts to enhance road, rail, air and maritime cooperation.

“Both sides agreed that Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project is the key driver of regional connectivity between Central Asia and Pakistani seaports.”

Underlining the multidimensional cooperation between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, the two leaders agreed to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of mining, energy, defence, tourism, education, and culture.

They also reiterated their commitment to enhance bilateral trade up to $2bn.

After the official talks, the two leaders unveiled the plaques of Tashkent Street and Babur Park in Islamabad, it said.

According to the statement, in addition to 28 agreements and MoUs, the two sides also signed a joint declaration on the outcomes of the Uzbek president’s visit to Pakistan.

He also invited the PM Shehbaz for the next round of Pakistan-Uzbekistan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Tashkent next year, the statement said.

Upon his arrival at Nur Khan Airbase the Uzbek president was received by PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari.

A post on the President Secretariat’s X account said: “A warm welcome to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan! President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz received the Uzbek president at Noor Khan Airbase today. This visit marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties and regional connectivity.”

According to state-run APP, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the PM on Industry and Production Haroon Akhtar were also present at the Nur Khan Airbase to welcome the Uzbek president.