Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan Oybek Arif Usmanov called on FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh in Islamabad and discussed various issues including bilateral trade, mutual cooperation, investment, Pakistan Uzbekistan Business Council, and exchange of trade delegations. The Uzbek ambassador was accompanied by Bakurum Yusov Economic and Trade Consul of Uzbekistan.
Sheikh said Pakistan’s exports to Uzbekistan have increased gradually in the last years, which has to be further increased, bilateral trade can be promoted in textile, pharmaceutical, rice, machinery, agriculture machinery, and other sectors.
The FPCCI President added that we will participate in the single-country exhibition to be held in Uzbekistan on June 28. Pakistanis face problems in business visas, tourist visas, and flights to Uzbekistan.
The Ambassador said that Uzbekistan is organizing an International Business Forum on May 3 and 4, in which the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the business community are invited to participate, while the Minister of Uzbek Foreign Affairs will visit Pakistan on May 9-10.
He said that there will be G2B and B2B meetings. Trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan is suffering due to Afghanistan, so we have to start the Afghanistan-Pakistan Corridor. Direct flights will be started from Islamabad and Lahore and visa issues will be resolved soon, he added.
Chairman FPCCI Capital Office Karim Aziz Malik, Convener Diplomatic Committee FPCCI Ahmed Waheed, Vice President FPCCI Ashfaq Ahmed, Chairman Coordination Malik Sohail Hussain, Acting President ICCI Fahad Waheed, Vice President Engineer Azharul Islam, Advisor President FPCCI Dr Afshan Malik, Executive Member FPCCI Farrukh Alvi, Chairman Pakistan Russia Business Council Mohsin Sheikh and others were also present in the meeting.