TASHKENT (Uzbekistan), July 15 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said Pakistan’s connectivity with Uzbekistan in trade and bilateral spheres would open up new avenues of prosperity in the region.
“Pakistan has immense potential to connect Central Asia with rest of the world and become a hub of trade,” the prime minister said in his address at the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Business Forum, held here in the Uzbek capital.
The forum was attended by a large number of businessmen from Pakistan and Uzbekistan besides the delegation of prime minister including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Minister for Information Technology Atif Khan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan assured the businessmen and traders of Uzbekistan that Pakistan would extend them every possible facilitation in promotion of trade.
“I want to assure the business community of Uzbekistan that this relationship is just the beginning of the journey of development and prosperity,” he said.
The prime minister said the railway project among Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan would prove to be a revolution of development.
The prime minister stressed that to exploit the region’s potential, peace and security in the neighbourhood was essential.
On the situation in Afghanistan, he said peace in the war-torn country was important to ensure materialization of development projects in Central Asia.
“Pakistan is keen for peace in Afghanistan and considers it vital for trade connectivity among the regional countries,” he said, adding that such trade linkages helped in raising the living standards of the citizens.
Imran Khan referred to the cooperation among the neighbouring countries of the European Union, that focused on bilateral trade arrangements for the benefit of their people.
He hoped that with the support and will of the regional States, the situation in Afghanistan would lead to improvement.
The prime minister said Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoyed relations rooted in common faith, culture and history and offered a unique dimension to the two nations to explore each other in diverse areas.
Earlier, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov in his speech mentioned the strong ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan in multiple areas of cooperation.
He welcomed PM Imran Khan on his official visit to Uzbekistan, which he said would usher in a new area of cooperation and joint ventures between the two brotherly countries.
Speaking to media in Tashkent, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan and Uzbekistan had vast potential to explore the opportunities of bilateral trade and investment for their mutual interest.
The foreign minister, who is part of the official delegation of Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to Tashkent and attended the Pak-Uzbek Business Forum, said the business community from the two sides showed immense interest in bilateral engagement.
He mentioned that the Pak-Uzbek Business Forum was attended by around 130 representatives of leading companies and business houses from Pakistan.
He said the activity resulted in signing of agreements worth $453 million and hoped that it would lead to further strengthening of bilateral trade.
Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said two important objectives of the prime minister’s visit were to ensure travel facilities among Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan and to deliberate upon ways to ensure peace in Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan desired an effective trade linkage up to Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states.
“We want an effective transportation infrastructure so that the goods loaded from Pakistan’s Karachi and Gwadar seaports could reach Uzbekistan’s Tashkent,” he said in a video message from the Uzbek capital.
He hoped that such measure would increase trade with Uzbekistan “manifold”, and also mentioned the excellent efforts made by the Ministry of Commerce in this regard.
The information minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan, at tomorrow’s important conference on peace in Afghanistan, would highlight Pakistan’s stance on the significance of regional connectivity for a strong economy.
He expressed gratitude to the government of Uzbekistan for extending a warm welcome to the prime minister and his delegation and said the visit would “open up new vistas of economic opportunities between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and the rest of Central Asia.
Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko will arrive in Islamabad for three day official visit today.
This visit is expected to mark a pivotal moment in the growing diplomatic and parliamentary ties between the two nations.
During her stay, Valentina Matvienko is scheduled to meet with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif besides addressing a special session of the Senate tomorrow.
This visit, featuring significant discussions and strategic engagements, underscores the commitment of both nations to fostering stronger relations.
Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over are observing Black Day today to send a message of rejecting India’s illegal occupation of their homeland.
It was on October 27, 1947 that Indian troops invaded Jammu and Kashmir in blatant violation of the Partition Plan and occupied region against the will of the Kashmiri people.
The day is being marked by a complete shutdown in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Protest marches, rallies, and seminars will be held in Pakistan and across the globe.
In Azad Kashmir, protest marches, rallies and seminars will also be held at all the Districts and Tehsil headquarters to condemn the Indian Army’s invasion on October 27, 1947 and the revocation of the special status of IIOJK by the BJP-led Hindutva government of India.
In the state capital Muzaffarabad, Kashmir Liberation Commission has arranged a protest demonstration followed by a rally.
Similarly, Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmiri Refugees, other Hurriyat organizations and political and religious parties have arranged anti-India rallies and seminars to observe the Black Day.
President AJK Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry and Prime Minister Ch Anwarul Haq have appealed Kashmiris all over the world to register their protest against India.
Chinese President Xi Jinping says BRICS summit has decided to invite a number of nations to become partner countries.
Addressing the summit in Kazan, Russia, Xi hailed the decision as another important development in the course of BRICS development.
Chinese President said enlargement of BRICS is a major milestone in its development history.
Xi urged BRICS countries to promote an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and make unremitting efforts toward a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question.
