Samarkand, 15 September 2022 (TDI): Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif met the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 15th September 2022. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the SCO 2022 Summit.
During the meeting, the two sides deliberated upon a multitude of issues pertaining to mutual benefit. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in Uzbekistan to attend the SCO 2022 Summit.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a meeting with the President of Uzbekistan, H.E Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarqand, Uzbekistan pic.twitter.com/AoNp3yxSO5
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) September 15, 2022
Pakistan’s Prime Minister thanked President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his sentiments and condolences on the delivery of humanitarian help to flood victims.
He emphasized the devastation caused by climate-induced floods in terms of human lives lost and agriculture, livestock, housing, and key infrastructure damage.
The extensive discussions focused on bilateral cooperation, with a particular emphasis on trade and commercial links, as well as regional connectivity by rail, road, and seaports.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need of strengthening political connections and accelerating trade and economic cooperation by fully implementing the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of increased defense and security cooperation, as well as increased partnerships in education, culture, and tourism.
He stressed that a liberalized Visa Regime will encourage both countries’ business communities to increase bilateral trade and investment.
The Prime Minister further underlined Pakistan’s commitment to completing the Trans-Afghan Railway project on time and expressed satisfaction with the successful conclusion of the field excursion within Afghanistan by technical teams from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan.
Once completed, this project will efficiently connect Central Asian countries to the rest of the world via the seaports of Karachi and Gwadar.
The two heads of state also agreed to convene the Inter-Governmental Commission as soon as possible to develop specific proposals and projects to deepen and widen Pakistan-Uzbekistan cooperation across the board.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to visit Pakistan. The Uzbek President also invited the Prime Minister to visit the country as soon as possible.
SCO Summit 2022
The SCO Summit in 2022 is being hosted in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Samarkand is known to be on the old Silk Road trade route that connects China to the Mediterranean.
The SCO summit in Uzbekistan would focus on assessing the organization’s operations over the last two decades and identifying areas where multilateral collaboration could be beneficial.
The talks would also include the geopolitical situation in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the situation in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
It is noteworthy that this is the first in-person summit since the SCO summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in 2019. The 22nd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State will be attended by leaders of SCO member states.
Moreover, the Observer states, the SCO Secretary General, the Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), the President of Turkmenistan as well as others will attend.
In addition, Iran is scheduled to be formally admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization during the conference.
It is pertinent to note that following the Samarkand Summit, India will assume the SCO presidency. India will preside over the SCO till September 2023. It will host the SCO summit the following year.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization: An Overview
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a political, economic, and security organization in Eurasia.
It is the world’s largest regional organization in terms of geographic breadth and population, covering around 60% of Eurasia, 40% of the world population, and more than 30% of the global GDP.
The Shanghai Five, a mutual security pact founded in 1996 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, is the successor of the SCO.
The leaders of these countries plus Uzbekistan gathered in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, to announce a new organization with closer political and economic cooperation; the SCO Charter was signed on July 7, 2002, and entered into force on September 19, 2003.
It has since grown to eight members, with India and Pakistan joining on June 9, 2017. Several countries have agreed to participate as observers or discussion partners.
The SCO is managed by its top decision-making body, the Heads of State Council (HSC), which meets once a year.
Pakistan-Uzbekistan Ties
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have significant historical, religious, and cultural links. Because of these affinities and similar principles, relations between the two have become stronger throughout time.
Both countries have strived to strengthen their collaboration at the international and regional levels. Pakistan and Uzbekistan are located in a geostrategically significant region.
Cooperation between the two distant neighbors is important for the entire region’s political and economic well-being, which will eventually lead to long-term peace and progress.
