Both parties reiterate their determination to mutually support their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Uzbekistan’s president pose after signing a protocol on Thursday aimed at increasing bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan to $2 billion a year. Photo:X
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have signed a joint declaration following the state visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, reaffirming their commitment to expanding strategic cooperation in the areas of trade, connectivity, security, education and culture, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The statement said the talks and agreements signed during the visit “will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.”
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations and agreed to deepen cooperation in the political, economic and regional fields, with the leaders holding “comprehensive and in-depth discussions covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations.”
Both countries reiterated their commitment to achieving a bilateral trade target of $2 billion in the coming years. They also agreed to expand industrial cooperation, promote joint ventures and strengthen collaboration in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, agriculture, minerals and engineering goods.
Read: Pakistan and Uzbekistan sign agreement to increase trade to $2 billion within five years; 28 MoU, signed agreements
On connectivity, the leaders highlighted the importance of regional integration and welcomed progress in the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway project, calling it critical for transit trade and socio-economic development. They reaffirmed their commitment to the rapid completion of the project and the strengthening of multimodal transport links.
The statement highlighted growing defense and security cooperation, with both sides agreeing to continue joint military exercises, training programs and institutional exchanges. They also pledged to collaborate more closely between law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking.
Addressing regional issues, the leaders stressed the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan, calling for concrete actions against terrorist groups and preventing the use of Afghan territory for terrorist purposes against other countries.
The two countries reaffirmed their support for multilateral cooperation, pledging to coordinate closely at the United Nations and other international forums and to support each other’s applications.
Regarding cultural and educational ties, the declaration noted plans to expand academic collaboration, research partnerships and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides also agreed to promote tourism cooperation, media exchanges and joint cultural initiatives to strengthen historical ties.
Uzbek President Mirziyoyev thanked the government and people of Pakistan for their hospitality and invited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit Uzbekistan, an invitation which the Prime Minister accepted.
