Usman Shavkat: Pakistan and Uzbekistan promote mutual economic growth

President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Usman Shawkat shared his impressions of the 36th International Achievement Awards Ceremony and the Uzbek-Pakistan Conference “Uzbekistan–Pakistan Business Opportunities Conference.”

– I am honored to be in Tashkent today and take part in the 36th International Achievement Awards and Conference dedicated to business opportunities between Uzbekistan and Pakistan. This is a landmark event for our Chamber, which we traditionally hold in different countries of the world. This year we chose Tashkent because of our brotherly relations and strong business ties with Uzbekistan.

On the morning of November 10, during the Business Opportunities Conference, we gathered over 150 representatives from Pakistan and over 50 companies from both countries. Among the participants are enterprises from a variety of industries: pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT, textile industry and others. We held substantive negotiations, signed memorandums of understanding and discussed joint venture opportunities. It was extremely inspiring to see the cooperation between our countries come to fruition.

Our delegation included successful entrepreneurs, and today we honor their achievements at the awards ceremony. Many of these companies intend to expand their presence in Uzbekistan. The day before we visited “Pharma Park” and the potential for interaction between Pakistan and Uzbekistan in the pharmaceutical field is truly impressive.

The leadership of our countries - the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the President of Uzbekistan - has set a goal to achieve a bilateral trade volume of $2 billion. I am sincerely convinced that by solving a number of logistical and financial issues, this figure can be increased to $4 billion. On November 10, we discussed in detail such topics as the development of road and railway communications, improvement of banking and financial mechanisms, as well as strengthening ties between our peoples.

Tourism is another area whose potential has not yet been fully realized. I see great opportunities for cooperation here. What we are doing today – these meetings, discussions, exchange of views – creates a solid foundation for further strengthening economic relations. We are united by a common culture, history and religion, and now the time has come to strengthen economic and business ties.

Uzbekistan is truly an example of successful economic development. Pakistan, with a population of 250 million, is a huge market. In the modern world, regional cooperation plays a key role. I firmly believe that Uzbekistan and Pakistan are moving in the right direction to promote mutual economic growth. And this is just the beginning of our journey.