Astana, 14 October 2022 (TDI): Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan met with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Astana, Kazakhstan.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations with a special emphasis on fostering collaboration that would be advantageous to both parties in the areas of connectivity, energy, and trade.
Both sides discussed measures to further bolster economic cooperation and expressed pleasure with the increased trajectory of high-level interactions and bilateral commerce.
Prime Minister Sharif recalled his meeting with the President of Uzbekistan at the SCO Summit in Samarkand last month and highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to boosting connectivity on a bilateral and regional scale.
Also, the duo decided to work together to develop a well-coordinated approach to advance their shared connectivity objective.
Shehbaz Sharif also updated President Mirziyoyev on the rehabilitation efforts being undertaken by his government for the flood-affected areas of Pakistan.
while President Mirziyoyev on his part assured him of the full support of Uzbekistan during the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister highlighted the importance of advancing trade and economic relations (PTA) by making the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) and Preferential Trade Agreement fully operational.
The next Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) meeting will be called as soon as possible, both leaders agreed. The meeting also determined that the Co-Chairs from both sides will work together to hasten the preparation of a substantial discussion.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif proposed summit-level consultations in Islamabad to promote connectivity in the area. The Uzbek President also approved of the concept.
The Trans-Afghan Railway Project will be finished on schedule, the Prime Minister added in his statement. The plan calls for using Pakistani seaports to connect Central Asian nations to the rest of the world.
The relevant ministers from both sides will schedule early talks for an efficient follow-up of all the connectivity projects, the two presidents agreed.
The two sides also pledged to work closely together in international fora to support initiatives to secure long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan while exchanging opinions on local and global concerns, notably Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister underscored the significance of providing humanitarian and economic aid to the Afghan people to prevent the threat of hunger and poverty in the nation.
Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)
CICA is a multinational organization with the objective of collaboration for stability, security, and peace throughout Asia.
It is based on the understanding that there is a close-knit connection between stability, peace, and security in Asia and the rest of the globe.
Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan, first suggested the concept of holding CICA on October 5, 1992, during the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The driving force behind this initiative was the need to establish an effective and acceptable system for ensuring peace and security in Asia.
CICA Member states are Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkiye, UAE, and Uzbekistan.
The CICA Observer States are Belarus, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and the USA.
The Observer Organizations include the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA).
