ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan awaited to see Uzbekistan joining China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and taking benefits from Gwadar port.
While talking to the Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Ulugbek Rozikuloy in Islamabad on Friday, the prime minister emphasized that Pakistan and Uzbekistan needed to make efforts to enhance cooperation in the economic and commercial fields and fully exploit the huge potential for mutual trade.
The prime minister said that the two Countries needed to formulate a joint integrated strategy to exploit the potential of trade in the region, especially in view of CPEC.
Sharif said that Pakistan cherished its close, friendly and fraternal relations with Uzbekistan as both the countries were bound by strong commonalities of history, faith and culture. He expressed the desire to take bilateral relations to new heights based on mutually beneficial cooperation.
The prime minister said that Pakistan was keen to further expand ties in economic and energy cooperation, connectivity and human resource development fields with Uzbekistan.
Nawaz Sharif said that Uzbekistan’s impressive annual economic growth and rich energy resources, and Pakistan’s large industrial and agricultural base provided an ideal environment for expansion of trade and commercial cooperation between the two countries.
The prime minister called for appropriate reforms in trade policies to facilitate trade, investment and free flow of goods and services between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. He also stressed the need for establishing Pakistan-Uzbekistan Joint Business Council and revive the Joint Commission.
Furthermore, he expressed the confidence that the visit of Uzbek delegation to Pakistan would contribute towards enhancing the bilateral relations between the two Countries.
In his remarks, the Uzbek deputy prime minister said that all necessary steps would be taken to explore and exploit the huge business and trade opportunities between the two Countries.
