Tashkent (TDI): The 9th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Pakistan and Uzbekistan concluded successfully in Tashkent on Tuesday.
The event was marked by a productive Uzbek-Pakistani Business Forum, attended by Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, and Jam Kamal Khan, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce, along with senior officials and over 100 executives from both countries’ major industrial sectors.
The meeting began with a bilateral discussion between the heads of both delegations, focusing on the current state of trade, investment, industrial collaboration, transport, and logistics, while emphasizing the need to implement previously agreed measures from high-level visits.
During the formal session of the Intergovernmental Commission, officials presented comprehensive reports on the progress of existing agreements, outlining plans to further enhance cooperation.
Pakistan-Uzbekistan Trade
Pakistan has emerged as a crucial trading partner for Uzbekistan, with mutual trade volume tripling over the past five years and a 10% increase noted this year alone.
The number of joint ventures has also tripled, totaling 128, while road freight transport rose significantly, reaching 354,000 tons in 2023—an increase of nearly 6.5 times.
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Key strategies to further boost these growth trends were discussed, including enhancing the effectiveness of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), organizing joint exhibitions, establishing trade houses in both countries, and expanding access to electronic trading platforms for entrepreneurs.
A committee has been formed to expand the scope of the PTA.
In terms of investment cooperation, both parties agreed to develop a joint “Program for Industrial Cooperation 2025-2026,” focusing on collaborative projects in agriculture, food processing, IT, chemicals, textiles, and machinery.
Additionally, they committed to initiatives aimed at improving transport connectivity for the efficient movement of goods.
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The event concluded with the signing of the Final Protocol of the Commission meeting and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in electronic commerce between Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade and Pakistan’s Federal Ministry for Commerce.
This MoU is expected to open new avenues for trade and technological collaboration.
The 9th Commission meeting and Business Forum underscored the shared vision of Uzbekistan and Pakistan for sustainable economic progress, laying the groundwork for a stronger and more interconnected regional future.
