TASHKENT: Pakistan and Uzbekistan are looking forward to a peaceful political settlement in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday.
“Our business and trade relationship is dependent on how quickly we connect with each other and peace in Afghanistan plays an important role in that,” the premier remarked, addressing the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum in Tashkent.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan’s connectivity through Afghanistan is very important and is beneficial for both countries. “The Trans Afghan Railway project is the most important project for Uzbekistan and Pakistan,” he said.
For the latter, it will open a market of 220 million consumers. For Pakistan, it will connect the country to Central Asia and beyond.
“I was a student in England when the European Union was formed and I witnessed how the standard of living increased after that. Pakistan and Uzbekistan can enjoy similar benefits and growth.”
The prime minister assured the business community that this is just the beginning. “We are all hoping that by the time we go back, our connection will get stronger.”
The Pakistani government is working on increasing flights to Uzbekistan and strengthening business connections, especially in the textile sector, he added.
The prime minister was enthusiastic about his visit to Samarkand and Bukhara tomorrow [Friday]. “Being a history student, I know more about Uzbekistan than the people living here,” he remarked.
“Pakistan has immense potential to connect Central Asia with rest of the world and become a hub of trade,” the prime minister said.
The prime minister said the railway project among Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan would be a harbinger of development. He stressed that to exploit the region’s potential, peace and security in the neighbourhood was essential.
On the situation in Afghanistan, he said peace in the war-torn country was important to ensure materialisation of development projects in Central Asia.
“Pakistan is keen for peace in Afghanistan and considers it vital for trade connectivity among the regional countries,” he said, adding that such trade linkages help in raising the living standards of the citizens.
PM Imran Khan referred to the cooperation among the neighbouring countries of the European Union, that focused on bilateral trade arrangements for the benefit of their people.
He hoped that with the support and will of the regional states, the situation in Afghanistan improves.
The prime minister said Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoy relations rooted in common faith, culture and history and which offer a unique dimension to the two nations to explore each other in diverse areas.
Earlier, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, in his speech, mentioned the strong ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan in multiple areas of cooperation.
He welcomed PM Imran Khan on his official visit to Uzbekistan, which he said would usher in a new area of cooperation and joint ventures between the two brotherly countries.
