Islamabad, February 6, 2026: Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed a joint declaration following the state visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, reaffirming their commitment to broaden strategic cooperation in trade, connectivity, security, education, and culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.
The declaration emphasized that the talks and agreements reached during the visit would “further strengthen the strategic partnership between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.”
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to deepen engagement across political, economic, and regional domains. The leaders held “comprehensive and in-depth discussions covering the full spectrum of bilateral relations,” reflecting a shared resolve to enhance long-term cooperation.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan reiterated their commitment to achieving a bilateral trade volume of $2 billion in the coming years. The two countries also agreed to expand industrial cooperation by promoting joint ventures and increasing collaboration in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, agriculture, minerals, and engineering goods.
Highlighting the importance of regional integration, the leaders welcomed progress on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project, describing it as critical for boosting transit trade and fostering socio-economic development across the region. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the project’s early completion and pledged to strengthen multimodal transport links to enhance connectivity.
The declaration underscored growing defence and security cooperation, with Pakistan and Uzbekistan agreeing to continue joint military exercises, training programmes, and institutional exchanges. The two nations also committed to enhancing coordination between law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking.
Addressing regional challenges, the leaders stressed the importance of lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. They called for concrete measures against terrorist groups and emphasized the need to prevent Afghan territory from being used to launch attacks against other countries.
Both countries reaffirmed their support for multilateral cooperation and pledged to coordinate closely at the United Nations and other international platforms while backing each other’s candidacies.
The declaration also highlighted plans to expand academic collaboration, research partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides agreed to promote tourism, encourage media exchanges, and undertake joint cultural initiatives aimed at strengthening historical and cultural bonds.
President Mirziyoyev expressed gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their warm hospitality and extended an invitation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit Uzbekistan, which the prime minister accepted.
