He will meet President Zardari, hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz and deliver a speech at the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev speaks during a conference. PHOTO: AFP
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for a two-day state visit to Pakistan from February 5 to 6, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Upon his arrival at Nur Khan Air Base, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the Uzbek president. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar Khan were also present.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Uzbek president is expected to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and address the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum during his stay.
“Discussions will focus on reviewing the entire range of bilateral relations and identifying new avenues to further deepen cooperation in various sectors, including trade, energy, defence, education, people-to-people exchange and regional connectivity,” the FO said.
He will lead a high-level delegation, made up of senior ministers and business leaders,
The FO said it would be his second visit to Pakistan, reflecting the “rising trajectory” of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and the brotherly ties between the two countries that are rooted in common history, faith and “common aspirations for peace and prosperity in Central and South Asia”.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoy strong diplomatic and economic relations, and the leaders of both countries visit each other frequently to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Read: The Uzbek president will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow for a two-day visit
Earlier this week, Pakistan and Uzbekistan agreed to accelerate efforts to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion as the 10th session of the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation concluded in Islamabad.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the steady progress in bilateral engagement and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation. They underlined the importance of the preferential trade agreement, welcomed progress on Phase II concessions and agreed to accelerate institutional mechanisms to achieve the $2 billion trade goal.
The discussions emphasized trade facilitation, improved logistics, digitalization of customs, transit trade cooperation, development of regional trade corridors and greater business-to-business engagement, along with improved visa facilitation for business communities.
