Pakistan, Uzbekistan sign 28 agreements and MoUs after President Mirziyoyev’s arrival in Islamabad
Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed 28 agreements and memoranda of understanding (M0U) after President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s arrival in Islamabad for a two-day official visit on Thursday.
A ceremony held for the exchange of documents in this regard was broadcast live on television, during which it was announced that 20 documents would be exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Uzbek President Mirziyoyev.
The agreements and memoranda signed between the two sides covered several areas, including an action plan for defence cooperation, ecology climate change and disaster risk reduction, disaster management, cooperation in agriculture, protocol on sanitary requirements for exports of fruits, cooperation in the area of mining and geosciences, transfer of sentenced persons and cooperartion on combatting drug trafficking.
Upon his arrival at Nur Khan Airbase the Uzbek president was received by PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari.
A post on the President Secretariat’s X account said: “A warm welcome to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan! President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz received the Uzbek president at Noor Khan Airbase today. This visit marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties and regional connectivity.”
According to state-run APP, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the PM on Industry and Production Haroon Akhtar were also present at the Nur Khan Airbase to welcome the Uzbek president.
Mirziyoyev was welcomed with a 21-gun salute, the APP report said.
It added that a smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan armed forces presented a static salute to the visiting dignitary, and the tri-services band also delivered a performance.
The Foreign Office (FO) earlier said that the Uzbek president was undertaking the official visit to Pakistan at the invitation of PM Shehbaz.
In its statement, the FO said that the President Mirziyoyev would lead a high-level delegation comprising cabinet ministers and business leaders.
It said that the visiting dignitary would meet President Zardari, hold delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz, and address the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum.
The FO added that this was the Uzbek president’s second visit to Pakistan, as he had last visited Pakistan in 2022.
The visit “reflects the upward trajectory in Pakistan-Uzbekistan bilateral relations and the brotherly ties between the two brotherly countries, rooted in common history, faith and common aspirations for peace and prosperity in Central and South Asia”, it said.
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.
Last month, the two countries agreed to expand bilateral trade to $2 billion as PM Shehbaz met with President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent.
The Embassy of Uzbekistan said last week that President Mirziyoyev’s visit to Pakistan was expected to mark a new phase in bilateral relations.
