Islamabad (TDI): Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, met with Alisher Tukhtaev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan, to discuss bilateral trade, regional connectivity, and broader economic cooperation.
During the meeting, he expressed gratitude for Uzbekistan’s invitation and praised the development of Tashkent, noting that its modern infrastructure and urban planning are comparable to those in developed nations.
He also highlighted Uzbekistan’s impressive economic performance over the past decade, with steady growth averaging around six percent, and lauded the country’s focus on institutional reforms and youth engagement in governance.
The Ambassador thanked the Coordinator for his remarks and reaffirmed that Pakistan and Uzbekistan are strategic partners, bound by shared Islamic heritage, brotherhood, and common regional interests.
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He emphasized the mutual objective of increasing bilateral trade to $2 billion and raised concerns over the closure of Afghanistan transit routes, particularly the Torkham border, citing its negative impact on regional trade, including trade with Uzbekistan. The envoy stressed the importance of an early resolution of the border issue.
Both sides discussed enhancing connectivity through proposed railway linkages to Central Asia, Russia, and Azerbaijan, noting their potential to reduce transit time, lower freight costs, and improve market access. The involvement of Pakistani businesses, including the registration and facilitation of Pakistani companies in Uzbekistan, was also discussed.
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In addition, the need to increase the number of direct flights was highlighted, recognizing Uzbekistan’s growing role as a transit hub for overseas Pakistanis.
The meeting concluded with agreement on expanding tariff lines under the Preferential Trade Agreement and a reaffirmation of commitment to strengthening bilateral economic cooperation.
Sohail Majeed
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
