Pakistan, Uzbekistan Reaffirm Strategic Partnership at SCO Meeting

BISHKEK — Nazrana Times Ali Imran Chattha 
Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek.
Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar were also present.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed warm greetings to President Mirziyoyev and the people of Uzbekistan on the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence.
Recalling President Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Pakistan in February 2026, the prime minister said the visit and the inaugural meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council had provided fresh momentum to the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
The prime minister stressed the importance of implementing leadership-level decisions on time, particularly in trade, investment, connectivity and economic cooperation.
He reiterated the shared goal of increasing bilateral trade to US$2 billion by 2029 and called for effective implementation of the expanded Preferential Trade Agreement, stronger business-to-business engagement and mutually beneficial joint ventures.
Regional connectivity was also a major focus of the meeting. Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the potential of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway to connect Central and South Asia and provide Uzbekistan with access to Pakistan’s seaports.

He called for early progress on the Joint Feasibility Study and greater use of existing multimodal transport corridors. Pakistan also reaffirmed its readiness to facilitate Uzbek trade through its ports and transport infrastructure.
The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, digital technologies, education, culture, defence and security.
The prime minister also supported enhanced air connectivity, including progress towards establishing direct Tashkent-Karachi flights.
Shehbaz Sharif appreciated Uzbekistan’s support for Pakistan’s forthcoming chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State and expressed Pakistan’s desire to work closely with Uzbekistan on regional security, connectivity, trade and sustainable development.
The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its strategic partnership with Uzbekistan and converting strong political ties into tangible economic benefits for the people of both countries.