Islamabad- October 24, 2024- Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to further strengthen economic and trade relations, while Uzbekistan has officially announced the commencement of direct flights between Tashkent and Lahore, which will soon extend to other cities in Pakistan.
This was conveyed by Uzbekistan’s newly appointed ambassador to Pakistan, Alisher Takhliyev, during a meeting with Senator Irfan Siddiqui, leader of the Parliamentary Party of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Senate on Thursday.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui expressed his pleasure over the appointment of Alisher Tukhtayev as ambassador to Pakistan and warmly welcomed him to the country, saying that Pakistan is pleased to receive him from the brotherly Islamic nation of Uzbekistan.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui also welcomed Uzbekistan’s decision to start direct flights, expressing hope that the improved travel facilities would greatly help in bringing the people and business communities of both countries closer and open new avenues for cooperation.
The senior PML-N leader thanked the government of Uzbekistan and the Central Election Commission for inviting him as an international observer in connection with Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis elections. He informed the ambassador that a three-member delegation of senators would be departing to observe the elections scheduled for October 27.
He described it as a significant democratic activity and an important opportunity to learn from democratic experiences. Both leaders agreed to enhance economic and trade cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, including energy and agriculture, and decided to work together to advance these efforts.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui briefed the Uzbek ambassador on the formation of the business-friendly Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s reforms aimed at facilitating foreign investors.
The Uzbek ambassador appreciated the reform initiatives taken by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to facilitate foreign investment and congratulated Pakistan on the successful recent hosting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad.
