TASKHENT, Uzbekistan: “Amid a huge potential of further increase, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan jumped up to $95 million last year witnessing a three times surge”
This was said by Ambassador of Pakistan in Uzbekistan Irfan Yusuf Shami in an exclusive with the Chief Editor Dispatch News Desk (DND) News Agency Agha Iqrar Haroon in Tashkent.
The Pakistani Ambassador said that of a total volume of $95 million bilateral trade, Pakistan’s exports to Uzbekistan stand around $60 to $65 million dollars while the reaming goes vice versa.
“This threefold increase in 2018 is more than any country’s trade with Uzbekistan,” said Ambassador Irfan Shami who is proactively promoting Pakistani products in local market and has been a driving force behind increase of Pakistani eports to Uzbekistan.
Though, he added, that current trade balance is tilting in Pakistan’s favour but there is an immense potential for Uzbekistan to increase its exports to Pakistan.
Commenting on Pakistan-Uzbekistan bilateral trade, Irfan Shami said that in the modern world, relations between two countries are primarily guided by the volume of their bilateral trade and mutual economic cooperation.
“If you have strong economic or commercial relations, the political relations will follow suit,” he noted.
Pak-Uzbek bilateral trade not up to its true potential: Envoy
However, he added, that notwithstanding with its true potential, Pak-Uzbek bilateral trade hasn’t yet reached the desired level.
The Ambassador said that as per his understanding, the only obstacle remains to be the absence of direct geographical linkage between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
“Were they neighbours, they would surely have a much better trade relations,” Ambassador Irfan Shami said.
Especially, he further said, that Pakistan having an over 220 million population and so for Uzbekistan with 32.39 million educated and disciplined population, they may easily harness the potential of each other’s markets.
Irfan Shami said that both Pakistan and Uzbekistan are agriculturally rich countries, and export cotton. He said that Uzbekistan is now shifting from exporting raw material to finished products; therefore, it can also stand benefiting from Pakistan’s quite an advanced and technically sound textile industry.
The Ambassador apprised that in his recent talks with the Chairman of the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce Ikramov Adkham Ilkhamovich, who was once the Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and the Health Minister, they exchanged the ideas of promoting bilateral trade. He said that Ikramov is also the staunch supporter of Pakistan-Uzbekistan robust ties.
Ambassador Irfan Shami told that Ikramov has been to Pakistan four or five times, and in March last year, he also witnessed Pakistan Day Parade. He said that the Uzbek dignitary was amused to see Pakistan armed forces capabilities and cultural commonalities such as dress and building’s architectural designs between the two countries.
When asked to shed some light on overall status of Pakistan-Uzbekistan relationship, the Ambassador said that Pakistan attaches a lot of importance to all Central Asian countries including Uzbekistan. He said that after their independence, Pakistan was one of the first countries which not only recognized them but various visits even at the prime minister-level also took place to those countries.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan share common culture, history, tradition & heritage: Irfan Shami
In particular reference to Uzbekistan, the envoy said that it is the Centre of Central Asia and most populated country in the region. He stated that two countries enjoy very strong shared cultural and religious linkages date back to the era of Amir Timur and Zahīr ud-Dīn Babar or even before since the era of Imam Bukhari and Imam Tirmizi.
Ambassador Irfan Shami said that many Uzbek eminent religious, scientific or academic personalities and places like Samarkand, Fergana Valley and Termez are very much known to Pakistanis because they read about them in their academic career.
The envoy said that both Pakistan and Uzbekistan have very visionary leadership who is fully committed for rapid socio-economic development of their people, foreign investments for major infrastructure projects, tourism & peace with all neighbours.
“We look forward to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s first official visit to Pakistan in 2019 in response to our president’s official invitation as it will jumpstart our relations,” Irfan Shami said, adding that the last visit of President Islam Karimov was in 2007, so it a is long overdue.
In reply to a question that how Pakistan is promoting its culture in Uzbekistan?, the ambassador said that they are regularly organizing various events in Uzbekistan to showcase Pakistan’s culture, tradition, dresses and cuisine.
The envoy said that events are either officially organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or various academic institutions in Uzbekistan. He added that Embassy also actively participates and organizes events on cultural different days. He stated that Embassy collaborates with international academic institutions in Tashkent including Westminster International University in Tashkent, the British School of Tashkent and Tashkent International School.
In addition, the Ambassador Shamsi said that not only they are projecting Pakistan’s culture in Uzbekistan but also drawing attention towards commonalities as both the countries have common culture, history, tradition and heritage.
Around 300 Uzbeks granted Pakistani visa in 2018: Envoy
When asked about interest of Uzbek people to visit Pakistan and to know Pakistani culture, Ambassador said that in year 2017, 250 Uzbeks visited Pakistan who applied for Pakistani visas but the number surpassed 300 in 2018. “There has been a sizeable increase, which is now picking up,” he said.
Ambassador Irfan Shami further said that there was a 14-times increase in tourists in Uzbekistan from Pakistan in 2018 and nearly 30 Pakistani business companies were exploring joint ventures in this CAR last year.
The Pakistani envoy expressed hope that these numbers would soar as the two countries have enormous potential to increase people-to-people contacts. He said that the people-to-people contacts can further be promoted through air linkages with Uzbekistan, the sole direct connectivity Pakistan has with any CAR.
Imminent opportunities for Pakistanis to invest in Uzbekistan
When asked that why Pakistan’s name is missing in the list of countries whose citizens receive e-visa or visa on arrival at Uzbekistan’s airports even when Indians, Bangladeshis and Nepalese are enjoying such facilities, the envoy said that he is taking this issue with Uzbek authorities and added that apprised that there are in fact four visa categories in Uzbekistan such as follows;
- Visa Free Entry;
It is essentially for developed countries or with whom Uzbekistan has large trade turnovers. Therefore, Pakistan for its inability to meet the required criteria doesn’t qualify for that list.
- Online Visa;
Unfortunately, Pakistan hasn’t been included in this list either, which carries names of 109 countries. Pakistan is also not listd in this category.
- Free Transit Visa (six-day free stay);
This list also does not have name of Pakistan. However, the Ambassador told that they are emphasizing the Uzbek government to enable Pakistanis including thousands of those dwelling in the US and Europe etc for Free Transit Visa as it would also help Uzbekistan secure advantages by providing aerial transportation facilities to them.
The Ambassador said that if the Uzbek government opens this facility for Pakistanis, they would no longer have to take longer routes of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait or Muscat to reach the United States of European countries. Additionally, the Uzbek airlines would also stand to benefit and bag extra earning.
- Permanent Residence Status for Foreign Investors:
Pakistan name is also not in this list. The Ambassador said it would attract a large number of Pakistani investors. He said that Pakistani investors own 50 percent of real estate in Dubai; therefore, if they are encouraged to invest in mega projects including “Tashkent Business City” launched by the Tashkent Mayor, it would be a win-win situation for both Pakistanis and the Uzbek government.
Further elaborating the Permanent Residence Status for Foreign Investors, the Ambassador said that it is granted to investors under three categories;
$400,000 investment in Tashkent City
$200,000 investment in Samarkand and Bukhara
$100,000 investment in rest of Uzbekistan.
The ambassador said that once having been provided the opportunity, a number of Pakistanis would surely invest in Uzbekistan especially when the two countries also have a direct air connectivity between Lahore and Tashkent.
Ambassador Irfan Shami said that he has also highlighted the importance of promotion of tourism before the Uzbek government, stressing them to ease the tourism facilities for Pakistanis.
Irfan Shami further added that we also have a sister city relationship between Lahore and Samarkand as these both are historically and culturally very similar. Likewise, he added that, now he is pursing the establishment of two more sister city relationships between Bukhara and mystical city of Multan, as both have similar architectures and shrines, and between Islamabad and Tashkent.
Unfortunately, Uzbek media coverage of Pakistan is inadequate: Ambassador Irfan Shami
Reply to another question that does Uzbek media promote Pakistani culture, history and tourism in its newspapers and TV channels, the Ambassador said “Unfortunately, they do it very very infrequently”.
The Ambassador said that the Uzbek media gives coverage to mega events related to Pakistan only i.e. if high-level bilateral visits occur or he is interviewed by any Uzbek media outlet seeking his comments on any Uzbekistan’s issue.
“But this is an issue, and it is not as adequate as it should be,” he regretted.
In the end, Ambassador Irfan Shami said in his message to Pakistanis who are willing to travel to Central Asia or beyond in the near future, Pakistanis should visit Uzbekistan for various reasons; firstly, they must visit Uzbekistan to see themselves the origin of their culture, tradition and religion. He said that as per the common saying, after Makkah and Madina, Samarkand and Bukhara were the cities in the historical past, where knowledge was emanating all across the world.
The ambassador said that in the past, the people from as far as Europe used to come in Samarkand and Bukhara to learn mathematics, astronomy and medicine.
Secondly, he said that he suggests Pakistanis to visit Uzbekistan from tourism perspective. He said that the Uzbek government has taken multiple initiatives for tourists, offering them a secure and conducive environment to visit attractive places in the country; and thirdly, from the religious point of view as a number of prominent religious sites exist in Uzbekistan.
