TASHKENT, Uzbekistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan wants to enhance cooperation with Uzbekistan in various sectors including economy.
In a meeting with the Uzbek President Islam Karimov in Tashkent on Tuesday, Sharif said that having strong relations with Central Asian States is corner stone our foreign policy.
The prime minister said that Uzbekistan’s economic progress is commendable.
Sharif said that relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan have been increasing with the passage of time. He said that Pakistan and Uzbekistan are linked in religious and cultural ties.
In his remarks, the Uzbek president said that Pakistan is an important country of the region and the Muslim World. He said that Pakistan is rich in natural and human resources and it should take benefit of this asset.
The bilateral ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, regional situation and ways to increase bilateral cooperation in multiple spheres came under discussion during the meeting.
Meanwhile, both the countries also signed various agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in different sectors including trade and taxation
Later, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Uzbek President Islam Karimov also signed a joint declaration.
Earlier in the day, Nawaz Sharif accompanied by a high level arrived Tashkent on a two-day official visit to Republic of Uzbekistan to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss with its leadership the regional situation.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Uzbek Counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev also held informal talks at the airport and discussed bilateral relations.
In a statement, the Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said that the prime minister’s visit is part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two brotherly countries.
Meanwhile, the sources in the foreign office said that the visit is reflective of Prime Minister’s high priority and broader commitment to further deepen Pakistan’s engagement with Central Asia.
They said that it would provide an important opportunity to strengthen and consolidate cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, regional connectivity, culture, tourism and people-to-people contacts, while also exploring new areas of collaboration.
