Daniyar Kurbanov
Center for International Relations Studies, Director
Shahodat Khoshimova
Center for International Relations Studies,Chief Researcher
On May 10, 2022, the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.
Over the past decades, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have made considerable progress in the development of political dialogue, practical cooperation in trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and interaction on regional and international issues.
During the last 5 years, the Uzbek-Pakistani relations have considerably intensified as a result of major changes in regional policies of the two countries.
In Uzbekistan, the process of profound reform and opening up of the country, launched by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in 2016 contributed to the transition to a proactive regional policy aimed at fully strengthening good-neighborly relations and cooperation with Central Asian countries.
The resulting positive political atmosphere in the region allowed the President of Uzbekistan to put on the agenda the restoration of historical connectivity and the development of multifaceted cooperation between Central Asia and South Asia.
In its turn, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in recent years under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has made significant shifts in regional policy, has noticeably increased the priority of regional economic cooperation and connectivity and intensified interaction with countries of our region within the framework of “Vision Central Asia” policy.
This convergence of interests and approaches between the two countries has ensured a significant strengthening of official dialogue and practical cooperation in recent years.
Since 2018 the President of Uzbekistan has held almost 10 meetings in different formats with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, which allowed to establish close ties, deepen political mutual trust and give impetus to the interaction between the official circles and business communities of the two countries.
Meetings of the Uzbek-Pakistani intergovernmental commission on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation are held on a regular basis. Friendship groups operate in the parliaments of the two countries.
Uzbekistan and Pakistan closely cooperate within international institutions, including the UN, OIC, ECO and SCO. Uzbekistan’s presidency of the Shanghai Organization in 2021-2022 will facilitate further deepening of official contacts and mutually beneficial cooperation.
The fruitful intensification of relations was confirmed by the official visit of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan to Uzbekistan in July 2021. Following its results, a joint declaration was adopted and relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of strategic partnership. The participation of the Head of the Pakistan Government in the High-Level International Conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities” (Tashkent, July 2021) contributed to the success of the forum and emphasized the mutual interest of the two countries in an active partnership to promote regional connectivity.
The high-level dialogue and close interaction between the governments and agencies of the two countries provided a significant boost to mutually beneficial cooperation and created the conditions for its deepening in the following key areas.
First, bilateral trade, strengthening of intergovernmental interaction and contacts between business circles have been elevated considerably. Uzbekistan’s trade turnover with Pakistan in 2016-2021 grew from $35.6 million to $181.5 million, or more than fivefold. Uzbek exports increased from $10.1 million to $130 million, or almost 13 times. In the last 2 years, the transit of Pakistani goods through our country has increased fivefold.
In July 2021, during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Uzbekistan, a number of investment contracts and trade agreements worth more than $ 500 million were signed in areas such as agro-business, textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, production of building materials and poultry.
The cooperation was promoted by the activation of joint cooperation structures. The sixth meeting of Uzbek-Pakistani inter-governmental commission on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation, the first meeting of Uzbek-Pakistani joint working group on trade-economic issues headed by the deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov and advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on economy Abdul Razzaq Davood, and the first session of Joint Business Council were held last year. The first Uzbek-Pakistani business forum was also held.
In July 2021, during the visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan to Uzbekistan, an agreement on transit trade was signed. Today, the work on the preferential trade agreement is underway, and the issues of further strengthening the legal framework of cooperation are being discussed.
Second, the development of interaction in the transport and logistics sector. Pakistan is a key partner of Uzbekistan in improving regional connectivity, with plans to build the shortest route to transport cargo from Central Asia through Afghanistan to the seaports (Karachi, Kasem and Gwadar) in Pakistan. In February 2021, a joint roadmap of Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan was signed in Tashkent to build the Termez-Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railroad. The Trans-Afghan transport corridor along this route could cut freight deliveries to seaports from 35 to 3-5 days, which will drastically improve foreign trade conditions of Uzbekistan and Central Asia and open for Pakistan the shortest transport corridor to our region and further to the countries of Eurasia.
Tashkent and Islamabad are making efforts to organize road transportation through Afghan territory. In November 2021, the first truck caravan delivered cargo from Uzbekistan to Pakistan in 48 hours. The route can be 80% shorter and 38% cheaper than others, which will make it possible to launch regular multimodal cargo transportation through the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan corridor in the future.
Pakistan’s business and expert circles have also noted a great interest in the development of air cargo and passenger transportation from Pakistan to Uzbekistan and through Uzbek air ports to the CIS countries and Europe.
It is proposed to establish air flights between the cities of the two countries, especially to Tashkent and historical centers of the country, which will stimulate contacts between business circles, tourism and strengthening of transport and transit potential of the two countries.
Third, the active development of security partnership. In the joint statement on Pakistan’s leader’s visit to Uzbekistan in 2021 the sides emphasized their readiness to maintain a regular dialogue and constructive cooperation in this sphere.
The Secretary of Uzbekistan’s Security Council V. Makhmudov visited Pakistan in November 2021, and the first meeting of the newly created bilateral joint security commission was held.
The parties cooperate within SCO’s Regional Antiterrorist Structure (RATS) on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, and illicit drug trafficking.
An important part of bilateral dialogue in the field of security and interaction on regional issues will remain the promotion of stabilization in Afghanistan, the involvement of this country in regional trade and economic ties and large infrastructure projects.
Fourth, strengthening and increasing cultural and humanitarian ties. The interconnected cultural and civilizational heritage of the two countries, the proximity of languages, cultural, religious traditions and spiritual values constitute a solid foundation for the development of interaction in culture, education, science, tourism, medicine and other fields.
Our forefathers – the great statesmen, scientists and thinkers such as Zahir ad-Din Muhammad Babur and Alisher Navoi, Muhammad Iqbal and Mirza Golib, Abu Rayhan Beruni and Abu Ali ibn Sino – are honored in both Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Our shared historical and cultural heritage can be used to foster interaction among academics, joint research, cultural diplomacy and stimulate tourist exchange.
The two leaders attach particular importance to cooperation in tourism. These issues were the subject of discussion during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Uzbekistan, especially the potential for the development of pilgrimage (ziyorat) tourism was emphasized. Although from 2016 to 2019. (before the pandemic), the inflow of Pakistani tourists to our country increased by more than 12 times, it was only 5 thousand people.
The two countries agreed to take all necessary measures to develop tourism, including the resumption of direct flights and facilitation of visa procedures. Earlier measures, such as the establishment of the Uzbek Tourist Information Center in Islamabad in 2019, will also contribute to this.
Another important area of cooperation is education, the intensification of contacts between universities. Today, more than 1,200 Pakistani students study in Uzbekistan, mostly in medical universities.
Both in our country and in the best universities of Pakistan it is possible to train much more students of our countries in demanded specialties in manufacturing and business (modern technology, finance, commercial law, etc.), as well as to study the Uzbek and Urdu language.
On the whole, excellent prospects for the development of strategic partnership between our countries are evident. The forthcoming state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in early March this year will undoubtedly allow to deepen the political dialogue, identify ways to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, reach new important agreements on further activation of the Uzbek-Pakistani relations which are coming up to the 30th anniversary.
