During the visit, Shehbaz Sharif will hold bilateral talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
\n Tashkent
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Uzbekistan for high-level talks aimed at boosting trade, energy, and defence cooperation, as Pakistan continues its economic diplomacy push with Central Asia.
\nThe visit follows Shehbaz\u2019s two-day trip to Azerbaijan, where Pakistan and Azerbaijan signed multiple agreements to enhance trade, energy, tourism, and education ties.
\nPakistan is positioning itself as a key trade and transit hub for the landlocked Central Asian republics, connecting them to global markets. Over the past year, there has been a surge in diplomatic visits, investment talks, and economic engagements between Pakistan and Central Asia.
\nThe Uzbek foreign minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, received Shehbaz at Tashkent Airport, according to a statement from the Pakistani Prime Minister\u2019s Office.
\nPakistan and Uzbekistan are expected to sign several agreements during the visit, Pakistan\u2019s Foreign Office confirmed.
\n\u201cThe prime minister and the president of Uzbekistan, during the bilateral meeting, will discuss all areas of cooperation, including connectivity, economic, trade, investment, energy, defence, and security, regional stability, and education,\u201d the statement said. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
\nThe visit underscores Pakistan\u2019s commitment to strengthening ties with Uzbekistan, the Foreign Office added, highlighting efforts to foster economic collaboration and explore new avenues of partnership as part of a broader regional integration strategy.
\nShehbaz will also address the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum, where leading business figures from both countries will hold business-to-business (B2B) meetings.
\nUzbekistan is Central Asia\u2019s second-largest economy and its biggest consumer market. It was the first Central Asian nation to sign a bilateral Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) and a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Pakistan, covering 17 trade items.
\nIn February 2023, Pakistan and Uzbekistan inked a $1 billion trade deal to facilitate goods and services exchange. Last month, Uzbek Ambassador to Pakistan Alisher Tukhtaev also announced plans to launch direct flights from Uzbekistan to Karachi, further enhancing connectivity between the two nations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During the visit, Shehbaz Sharif will hold bilateral talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Tashkent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Uzbekistan for high-level talks aimed at boosting trade, energy, and defence cooperation, as Pakistan continues its economic diplomacy push with Central Asia. The visit follows Shehbaz\u2019s two-day trip to Azerbaijan, where Pakistan and Azerbaijan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463754,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-463729","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n