ISLAMABAD/TASHKENT: The present “Joint declaration of Uzbek-Pakistan Summit” was adopted as the outcome of the Virtual Summit on Wednesday.
1. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan held their first Virtual Summit on April 14, 2021.
2. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Imran Khan reviewed the existing status of bilateral relations and discussed its enhanced future trajectory. They also exchanged views on issues of regional and global interest, including the situation of COVID-19 pandemic.
Political Relations
3. Recalling the centuries-old linkages between the peoples of the two countries, the two leaders highly appreciated holding of the first Virtual Summit as a landmark event in boosting Uzbek-Pakistan relations.
4. The two leaders agreed to enhance their multi-faceted bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest. They emphasized closer coordination at international fora on issues of mutual convergence.
5. The leaders also decided to regularly convene existing political and economic mechanisms between the two countries, including consultations between their respective Foreign Ministries and to strengthen parliamentary collaboration.
Cooperation at International Forum
6. The two leaders expressed satisfaction on the level of bilateral cooperation within the framework of international organizations, including at the UN. They reaffirmed their resolve to continue to support each other at theUN, SCO, OIC, ECO and other international and regional fora.
7. As members of the UN Human Rights Council, the two sides also expressed readiness to support joint actions to curb human rights violations and combating Islamophobia as well as strengthening interfaith harmony.
8. They also underlined the significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an important platform.
9. The two sides exchanged views on the Afghan peace process and reaffirmed their support for a negotiated political solution for lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region.
Security and Defence Cooperation
10. The two leaders expressed their readiness for maintaining regular dialogue and building constructive cooperation in the area of security and defence. They expressed satisfaction at the level of defence cooperation. In order to further promote cooperation in this area, the two leaders agreed to continue mutual participation in joint military exercises and trainings and to cooperate in the field of professional development, exchange of best practices, and collaboration between military institutions of the two countries.
11. The two leaders expressed readiness to expand cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the two countries, in particular in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.
Trade and Economic Cooperation
12. The two leaders agreed that cooperation in the trade and economic sphere was a key priority to consolidate partnership between the two countries. They also recognized the enormous economic potential for a mutually beneficial relationship.
13. They agreed to enhance volume of bilateral trade through adopting joint measures by diversification of trade, increasing business-to-business contacts, exchange of trade delegations and extending visa facilitation.
14. They also noted interest to increase industrial cooperation between companies and entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan and Pakistan, especially the growing inter-provincial cooperation after the visit of Governor of Punjab to Namangan region of Uzbekistan.
15. The two sides agreed to fast track finalization and signing of the Preferential Trade Agreement to enhance bilateral trade by eliminating trade barriers.
16. The two sides recognized the presence of huge opportunities to cooperate in spheres of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textile, leather and chemical industry, energy and information technology. They agreed to promote mutual collaboration in these sectors.
Connectivity
17. The two leaders underscored the importance of regional integration and connectivity as cornerstone of economic development and progress. They welcomed exchange of high-level visits in the fields of trade, railway and aviation in this regard.
18. The leaders supported the project for the construction of “Termez – Mazar-e-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar” Railway line, as an important initiative to establish railway connectivity from Central Asia to the Arabian Sea through Afghanistan and Pakistani Sea ports of Karachi, Gwadar and Qasim.
19. The two leaders are in favor to resume regular flights between Uzbekistan and Pakistan by their respective airlines after stabilization of COVID-pandemic situation.
20. The importance of convening the Uzbekistan-Pakistan business week and business conference in Tashkent in July, 2021 was also discussed.
Culture and People-to-People Contacts
21. President Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Imran Khan recalled the long-standing cultural, historic, religious and spiritual links between the two countries. They agreed to further enhance cultural relations and people-to-people contacts and welcomed proposals to build up collaboration between leading universities, research institutions, libraries and museums of the two countries and to conduct joint research on Baburi heritage.
22. They further identified development of tourism as priority area of common interest in particular the spiritual (Ziyarat) tourism between the two countries.
Agreements Signed
23. Following Agreements/MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Virtual Summit:
– MoU for Developing Further Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture.
– Agreement on Mutual Recognition in the Fields of Conformity Assessment of Products, Standardization, Metrology and Technical Assistance.
– MoU on Defence Cooperation.
Conclusion
24. The two leaders highly appreciated the opportunity offered by the Virtual Summit for productive engagement and dialogue. They expressed confidence that the understanding reached during the Summit will further deepen bilateral cooperation and contribute towards developing cooperation in a frame of multi-dimensional relationship. They agreed to continue the Summit-level political dialogue in future.
25. The President of Uzbekistan re-confirmed his invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan, to attend the high-level International Conference on regional connectivity to be held in July 2021. Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked the President and reiterated his invitation to him to visit Pakistan at a convenient time.
