TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 26. Uzbekistan and Pakistan reached an agreement to establish a joint transport and logistics company to further increase freight traffic volumes, Trend reports.
The news follows a meeting between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.
During the discussions, the leaders reviewed a wide range of issues related to the expansion and strengthening of Uzbekistan-Pakistan strategic partnership relations. The leaders noted with satisfaction the dynamic development of multi-faceted cooperation in recent years, highlighting continued active political contacts, productive inter-parliamentary exchanges, and inter-agency cooperation.
The negotiations focused particularly on expanding trade and economic cooperation. The importance of coordinated efforts to raise trade turnover to $2 billion, based on the adopted road map, was underscored.
Priority areas included expanding the range of goods under the Preferential Trade Agreement, simplifying phytosanitary and quarantine requirements, and customs procedures, aligning standards, integrating electronic trade platforms, ensuring access to procurement systems, and enhancing mechanisms for interbank settlements, among others. Plans for cooperation in various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, electrical engineering, agriculture, agricultural machinery, geology, mineral resources, textiles, leather, and others were also discussed.
The President of Uzbekistan suggested holding a forum of regions of the two countries in Uzbekistan to stimulate business and cultural contacts between the regions.
The leaders of Uzbekistan and Pakistan also focused on increasing transport connectivity and unlocking transit potential. It was noted with satisfaction that freight traffic through the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan multimodal corridor had increased fivefold in recent years.
The importance of coordinating efforts for the practical implementation of the Trans-Afghan Railway Project was emphasized. The parties agreed to hold the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in July of this year in Lahore.
Furthermore, the leaders also exchanged views on current international and regional issues. The importance of continuing mutual support in frameworks such as the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other multilateral structures was recognized.
To develop new directions for comprehensive cooperation, the creation of a High Council for Strategic Partnership was agreed upon, with the first meeting to be held next year. As a result of the high-level negotiations, a decision was made to develop and approve a joint road map for the timely implementation of the agreements and signed accords.
The bilateral trade volume exceeded $400 million in 2024 and the number of joint ventures reached 130. Trade houses were opened in Karachi and Tashkent, and direct flights resumed between Tashkent and Lahore.