Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed Uzbekistan-Pakistan Business Forum on Central and South Asia 2021: Regional Connectivity Challenges and Opportunities, held in Uzbekistan’s Capital on Thursday 15th July 2021. He said Pakistan’s connectivity with Uzbekistan will promote trade and bilateral relations. Pakistan has great potential to connect Central Asia with the world and would be a trade hub.
“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. Prime Minister also mentioned Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan Railway project will be an important development in this regard.
He also highlighted that a prevailing condition in Afghanistan was demanding to involve conflicted country into some developmental projects to boost its economic situation as well as rising living standards of its people. He hoped that with the proper involvement of neighbouring states, definitely situation in Afghanistan will get better.
Foreign Minister Pakistan and various other Ministers were also present there. Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that there was great appreciation for bilateral relations from both sides and they signed worth $453 million and hoped to further investment for bilateral trade.
Information Minister Fawad Hussain also mentioned some objectives. He said “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 appreciated Uzbekistan’s Government for such a warm welcome and said this agreement will “open up new vistas of economic opportunities between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and the rest of Central Asia.