Uzbek President to Arrive in Pakistan on Official Visit Tomorrow

The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, will arrive in Islamabad today for a two-day state visit, Foreign Office has announced.

A high-level delegation from Uzbekistan, comprising its Minister for Foreign Affairs, members of the Cabinet, senior government officials, and business and media personnel, will accompany President Mirziyoyev.

This will be his first visit to Pakistan after assuming office in 2016 and is being made at the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. It will mark the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

During the visit, the two heads of state will review the bilateral relations, including cooperation in political, trade and economic, connectivity, education, culture, security, and defense domains. They will have a wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues and will sign several bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs).

PM Imran will hold a one-on-one meeting with President Mirziyoyev, followed by delegation-level talks and a Joint Media Stakeout. He will also host a State Banquet in honor of the latter who will also have a separate meeting with his counterpart, Dr. Arif Alvi.

The two sides will focus on enhancing political and strategic linkages, fast-tracking trade, transit, and economic ties, enhancing connectivity, and promoting educational and cultural collaboration. The Trans-Afghan Railway Project that connects Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, will be a key area of deliberations besides interaction between the leading businessmen of both countries.

Pakistan and Uzbekistan are linked with a common faith, shared history, and cultural affinities. They have been collaborating closely at regional and international forums, and especially at the United Nations (UN), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Prior to the President’s visit, Pakistan and Uzbekistan hold the seventh session of the Joint Ministerial Commission and the second Joint Business Forum in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Pakistan has enhanced its engagement with Central Asian countries within the framework of the ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy, with five key strands, including political and diplomatic, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defense, and people-to-people relations.