Pakistan, Uzbekistan seek to increase trade turnover
By Vusala Abbasova
Pakistan and Uzbekistan can increase mutual trade turnover up to $300 million in case of reciprocal exchange of technologies and experience.
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif made this statement during his official visit to Uzbekistan.
During the visit, the prime minister familiarized with the production of heavy machinery, including trucks and cotton harvesters, seeders, tractors and buses.
In turn, Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that Uzbek combines are much cheaper than others on the world market.
He believes that the agrarian Pakistan needs such technology and the country should adopt Uzbek experience.
Mirziyoyev also noted that Germany, Holland and Japan are already cooperating with the domestic manufacturers for production of heavy machinery.
Furthermore, the sides inked a Joint Declaration on a sustained dialogue to expand their bilateral ties, following the official visit.
The declaration reads that 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 enhance relations in various fields.
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.
PM Sharif in his talks with the Uzbek leadership agreed to continue dialogue and endorsed to intensify bilateral contacts and practical cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.
The parties expressed readiness to further strengthen cooperation in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
It was agreed that Pakistan and Uzbekistan, together with the member states of the organization will undertake efforts to complete at the earliest, the accession process of Pakistan to the SCO as a full member.
Pakistan welcomed the forthcoming presidency of Uzbekistan at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and expressed willingness to assist in every possible way in conducting the 43rd OIC Foreign Ministers meeting in Tashkent during the second half of 2016.
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