Regional cooperation: PM Nawaz returns after two-day Uzbekistan visit

A joint declaration agrees on a ‘sustained dialogue’ to expand ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday returned home after concluding his two-day official visit to Central Asian state of Uzbekistan, where he held extensive talks with the Uzbek President Islam Karimov and his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyayev on wide areas of bilateral cooperation.

Both the countries also signed four documents of cooperation for enhancement of bilateral ties in diverse fields. Uzbek Prime Minister Mirziyayev and Samarkand Governor Zair Tairov saw off the prime minister at Samarkand Airport.

A joint declaration inked between Uzbekistan and Pakistan at the end of the PM’s two-day official visit said the two sides agreed on a ‘sustained dialogue’ to expand their bilateral ties.

The declaration said the two leaders had "friendly, substantive and constructive exchange of views" during their meeting and reached common understanding on a wide range of issues to further deepen Uzbekistan-Pakistan relations in various fields, and international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Keeping in view the importance of "adequate and timely response" to challenges and threats to national and regional security, the two countries agreed on coordination between their law enforcement and security agencies, under the framework of Intergovernmental Agreement, on cooperation in fight against international terrorism, inked on March 6, 2005.

The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation in transportation and transit traffic and stressed joint actions to promote regional projects for developing efficient and secure transport and transit corridors to provide shortest access to sea routes and world trade markets.

They agreed to hold regular meeting of Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical cooperation, as it was an important mechanism for coordination and development of bilateral economic relations and identifying new areas.

The Uzbek leadership said cooperation with Pakistan was one of the important pillars of its foreign policy on cooperation with South Asian countries, while Pakistan noted that relations with Uzbekistan were a key element of Islamabad's engagement with Central Asian countries.

They agreed to continue bilateral political dialogue and consultations through official visits at to enhance mutual understanding on bilateral, regional and international issues.

To boost bilateral trade, it was agreed to take joint measures to increase and diversify range and quantum of mutual trade. The need for developing long-term and mutually beneficial partnership between the business entities through joint business activities and active participation of the companies and enterprises in exhibitions and fairs in Uzbekistan and Pakistan was also stressed.

Pakistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed interest in expanding and further strengthening long-term, mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation through sustained dialogue and engagement at all levels.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2015.