On January 23, a roundtable discussion titled “Uzbekistan – Pakistan: Bridging regions and creating new opportunities” was held at the International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent. The event, organized in cooperation with the Embassy of Pakistan in Uzbekistan, brought together representatives of relevant ministries, business circles, analytical centers, and the academic community.It is worth noting that in recent years, relations between the two friendly countries have risen to an entirely new level. In particular, the formalization of the strategic partnership in 2021 indicates that bilateral ties have reached a qualitatively new stage.
Today, this cooperation is characterized by active political dialogue, expanded trade and economic relations, increased investment flows, and intensified cultural and humanitarian exchanges.In particular, the official visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif to Uzbekistan in February 2025 provided strong momentum to this process. During the visit, important agreements were reached to deepen cooperation in trade, transport, science and education, culture, and security. The sides set clear targets to increase bilateral trade turnover to $2 billion.Last year, the increase in mutual trade volume to $400 million indicates that Pakistan is becoming an important foreign trade partner for Uzbekistan.
As part of efforts to strengthen economic cooperation, the opening of the UzbekPak International Trading Centre and the UzbekPak Cultural Centre in Karachi became an essential institutional step. These platforms serve not only to promote industrial and agricultural products, but also to strengthen cultural ties between our peoples.Cooperation in transport and logistics is another priority area of Uzbekistan – Pakistan relations. The Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan Trans-Afghan railway project has significant potential as a strategic transport corridor linking Central and South Asia.
In addition, agreements reached to develop air cargo transportation between Tashkent and Karachi, including the delivery of agricultural products, are gaining practical importance.During today’s meeting, these pressing issues were discussed, creating a significant opportunity to develop approaches for a new qualitative stage of the strategic partnership and to advance concrete initiatives in trade, transport, education, science, culture, and tourism. Within the framework of the event, special attention was paid to strengthening ties among the analytical, academic, and business communities of Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
In addition, practical recommendations were developed for inclusion in the agenda of the high-level dialogue, and new initiatives were put forward to enhance Pakistan’s cooperation with Central Asian countries.In a word, cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan is turning into a strong bridge built on trust, pragmatism, and shared interests. The roundtable discussion held in Tashkent has become an essential step toward further expanding and strengthening this bridge.
