Pakistan, Uzbekistan seal 28 deals, target $2 billion trade expansion

ISLAMABAD: Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for a two-day state visit as Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed a wide-ranging set of agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $2 billion over the next five years and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, according to an official statement.

Mirziyoyev, accompanied by a high-level delegation of cabinet ministers and business leaders, was welcomed at Nur Khan Airbase with a red-carpet reception. A 21-gun salute was fired, while a contingent of the Pakistan Armed Forces presented a guard of honor. Children in traditional dress waved the national flags of both countries and presented floral bouquets to the visiting leader.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif greeted the Uzbek president, describing the visit as an opportunity to “further strengthen the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and translate political understanding into concrete economic outcomes.”

The visit comes amid intensified regional engagement by Islamabad, following the 10th session of the Pakistan–Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission earlier this week, where both sides agreed on a time-bound plan to expand trade, investment and regional connectivity. It also follows a high-level visit by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, underscoring Pakistan’s broader push to deepen economic links with Central Asian partners.

During talks at the Prime Minister’s House, Sharif and Mirziyoyev signed a bilateral trade and economic cooperation agreement, committing both sides to raise trade volumes to $2 billion within five years. The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of 28 agreements and memoranda of understanding spanning trade and investment, defense, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information technology, mining, energy, education, culture, disaster management and maritime cooperation.

Key accords included a defense cooperation action plan, agreements on preferential trade, maritime connectivity through Karachi, Gwadar and Port Qasim, cooperation in pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food security, digital technologies, climate change and disaster risk reduction, as well as the establishment of a Pakistan–Uzbekistan Interregional Forum and a Joint Business Council to strengthen business-to-business ties.

In remarks to the media, Sharif praised Mirziyoyev’s role in advancing regional peace and development, saying:

“I would like to convey my heartfelt congratulations on being awarded the highest civil award of Pakistan, Nishan-e-Pakistan, for your great services and contribution to strengthen our brotherly relations and your commitment to convert these friendly relations into economic cooperation, trade and investment.”

Sharif also highlighted the shared historical and cultural bonds between the two countries, noting:

“The Mughal legacy from the valley of Fergana and the intellectual luminaries of Samarkand and Bukhara have marked Pakistan’s history. These historical facts provide a very sound foundation for our durable relations and a very bright future.”

The leaders inaugurated the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, a new mechanism designed to ensure implementation of bilateral decisions. They also discussed regional connectivity initiatives, including the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway project, which Sharif described as “a game changer, not only for our countries but for the entire region.”

“We have agreed to constitute a joint working group to chart out a five-year plan covering all spheres of economic activity, with quarterly reviews to ensure tangible results,” Sharif said.

As part of the visit, the two leaders unveiled plaques for Tashkent Street and Babur Park in Islamabad. Mirziyoyev also visited Global Industrial & Defense Solutions, where he met Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss defense cooperation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described the visit as a milestone, saying:

“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and diversify the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.”

This is President Mirziyoyev’s second visit to Pakistan in four years, reflecting what officials describe as the upward trajectory of bilateral relations, anchored in shared history and an expanding economic and strategic partnership across Central and South Asia.