Pakistan, Uzbekistan deepen partnership with $2bn trade goal, rail, expanded air links
Baku, February 3, AZERTAC
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Haroon Akhtar Khan on Tuesday said that Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed on a concrete, time-bound plan of action to strengthen bilateral trade, investment and regional connectivity, with the goal of raising mutual trade to $2 billion within the next three years, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) .
At a joint press stakeout along with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov, the special assistant said the two sides held highly productive discussions during the 10th session of the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission (IGC).
He said comprehensive dialogue was held across priority sectors and structured working groups had been formed, which would meet monthly, while progress would be jointly reviewed by both co-chairs every three months.
Haroon said the agreements signed were not symbolic but represented a clear roadmap for future cooperation.
He said the $2 billion trade target was set by President of Uzbekistan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during their meeting in February 2025, and following that, a focal group was established under his leadership to ensure effective implementation.
He noted that eight inter-ministerial meetings and several joint working group sessions had already resulted in tangible progress over the past year.
Highlighting regional connectivity as a key priority, he said Pakistan and Uzbekistan, along with Afghanistan, had already signed an agreement to undertake a feasibility study for a railway link, while financing options were being explored in parallel. He said this rail connectivity would be a game changer, linking Pakistan to Central Asia and Eurasian markets, while providing Uzbekistan access to ports and global trade routes.
The special assistant also cited progress in sectoral cooperation, including pharmaceuticals, textiles and leather, establishment of trade houses in both countries, and increased exchange of business and government delegations.
He appreciated Uzbekistan’s decision to increase passenger flights between the two countries from two to four, with plans to add flights from Karachi and initiate cargo services.
He said enhanced air connectivity had also boosted tourism, with Tashkent now just a one-and-a-half-hour flight from Pakistan.
He added that strong political will and leadership on both sides had translated into practical outcomes, paving the way for further agreements and memoranda of understanding during the upcoming visit of the Uzbek president.
Haroon stressed that while governments play a facilitating role, sustainable economic growth would come through closer engagement between business communities of both countries.
He thanked the Uzbek delegation for their visit and expressed hope that visible results from the joint mechanisms would be presented at the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Commission.
Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov thanked Haroon Akhtar and said the 10th IGC meeting was instrumental in aligning next steps to deepen bilateral partnership.
He reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to achieving concrete outcomes, including the $2 billion trade target and expanded industrial and investment cooperation.
He praised Haroon vision and systematic approach to implementation, noting that monthly meetings of sectoral working groups and quarterly reviews by co-chairs would ensure timely execution of agreed roadmaps.
He said both sides would develop a detailed action plan to ensure all commitments were delivered on schedule.
Expressing gratitude for the hospitality extended to the Uzbek delegation, Laziz Kudratov said Uzbekistan would be pleased to host the 11th Intergovernmental Commission next year and hoped that by then both sides would be able to showcase progress and identify new areas of cooperation.
He concluded by reiterating confidence in continued close collaboration between the two brotherly countries.
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