PM Shehbaz welcomed with guard of honour in Uzbekistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was welcomed with a guard of honour at the Tashkent Congress Centre in Uzbekistan’s capital on Tuesday, the second and final day of his official visit there to strengthen bilateral and trade relations.

Pakistan and Uzbekistan have strengthened ties through trade and economic cooperation. A $1 billion trade deal was signed in 2023, and plans for further collaboration, including a roadmap for industrial cooperation, show the two sides’ commitment to boosting regional connectivity.

The prime minister had arrived in Tashkent yesterday evening, after concluding a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan, where it was agreed to boost bilateral investments to $2 billion.

PM Shehbaz was welcomed by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev today at the Tashkent Congress Centre, where both leaders are set to hold delegation-level talks.

The premier was given a formal welcome reception, with the national anthems of Pakistan and Uzbekistan played, followed by the guard of honour by smartly-turned-out contingents of the Uzbek armed forces, which the prime minister reviewed along with President Mirziyoyev.

Later, PM Shehbaz and President Mirziyoyev introduced their respective delegations to each other before proceeding to a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks.

Upon his arrival in the capital of Tashkent yesterday, the prime minister was received by Uzbekistan’s PM Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov.

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, Tashkent’s Mayor Shavkat Umurzakov, Uzbek envoy Alisher Takhitayev and his Pakistani counterpart Ahmed Farooq, along with senior diplomatic and government officials, were also present.

In their bilateral meeting, both leaders would “discuss all areas of bilateral cooperation including connectivity, economic, trade, investment, energy, defence and security, regional stability, and education”, according to an earlier statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The leaders would also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, the press release said.

The prime minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Investment and Privatization Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.

The prime minister’s visit “underscores Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen its ties with Uzbekistan, through fostering greater economic collaboration and exploring new avenues of partnership, as part of the strategic vision for regional integration and economic prosperity”, the FO had noted.

“Pakistan and Uzbekistan are bound together by common bonds of history, culture, religion, and their aspirations for peace and development,” it asserted.

On the first day of his trip, PM Shehbaz visited the Independence Monument in Tashkent, where he laid a floral wreath and was briefed about the 3000-year-old history of the Uzbek nation and its heroes.

The visit underscored the shared historical and cultural ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan while reaffirming the commitment to deepening bilateral relations, said a statement.

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