PM, Uzbek president to review bilateral ties in virtual summit on April 14

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, at a virtual summit being held on Wednesday.

The two leaders will discuss matters pertaining to areas including political, trade, economic, security, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.

"Both sides will focus on enhancing political and strategic linkages, fast tracking transit and trade cooperation and building educational and cultural collaboration," the Foreign Office on Tuesday.

The FO said Trans-Afghan Railway Project, agreed between Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan earlier this year, is a key area of focus.

PM Imran Khan and President Mirziyoyev will also exchange views on key regional and international issues.

They will deliberate on enhancing mutual cooperation and coordination at international and regional fora.

"The virtual summit will provide an opportunity to further build on existing bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest," the FO said.

The two leaders had earlier met on the sidelines of 19th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of SCO Member States in Bishkek on June 13-14, 2019 and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum in Beijing on 26-27 April 2019.

The relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan are rooted deep in common faith, shared history, and cultural affinities -- providing a firm foundation for increased cooperation.

The two countries have increased interaction at all levels over the past two years.

The Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan visited Islamabad on March 9-10, 2021 to hold bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

During the visit, he also met the Prime Minister and delivered an invitation to attend the Central Asia South Asia Regional Connectivity Conference, to be hosted by Uzbekistan in Tashkent in July 2021.

Earlier, in February 2021, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Razzak Dawood, visited Tashkent to hold trade and transit trade talks and participate in trilateral meeting for the construction of Trans-Afghan Railway Project with Uzbek and Afghan authorities. A roadmap for implementation of railway line on Termez-Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar route was signed.