Ambassador of Uzbekistan and the Minister for Planning, Development and Special of Pakistan initiatives discuss new areas of bilateral cooperation

The Ambassador of Uzbekistan Alisher Tukhtaev held talks with Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.

During the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of issues related to the further strengthening of bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, elevating the strategic partnership to a new level, and advancing new initiatives in areas of mutual interest.

Minister Ahsan Iqbal particularly noted that Uzbek-Pakistani relations have reached an unprecedented level of activity in recent years. According to him, the state visit of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Pakistan in February this year gave the strategic partnership between the two countries a qualitatively new dimension and ushered it into a new stage of development.

It was also emphasized that the establishment of the High-Level Strategic Partnership Council has created a solid institutional framework for the more systematic and effective development of bilateral cooperation.

Particular attention was paid to factors constraining the expansion of trade and economic ties, especially in the areas of transport and logistics. The parties noted that despite the progress achieved in recent years in developing transport connectivity between the two countries, a number of additional practical measures are required to fully unlock the existing potential.

In this regard, the launch of air links between Uzbekistan and Pakistan was positively assessed. At the same time, the importance of exploring opportunities for Pakistani private airlines to operate direct flights to Uzbekistan, as well as expanding the geography and frequency of air services, was underscored.

The parties also exchanged views on the strategically important Trans-Afghan Railway project, highlighting the need to accelerate the preparation of its feasibility study, develop concrete implementation mechanisms, and intensify practical efforts toward its realization.

Industrial cooperation also featured prominently in the discussions. In particular, the parties reviewed prospects for joint projects in the textile and leather-footwear industries, pharmaceuticals, the production of surgical instruments, the agro-industrial sector, and food processing.