‘Meaningful trade relations with
Pak top priority of Uzbekistan’
From Our Correspondent
SIALKOT: Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan Furqat Sidiqov has said that improved and meaningful trade relations with Pakistan had always been one of the top priorities of Uzbekistan.
He said that while addressing the local business community at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Wednesday. SCCI VPs Sarfraz Butt and Syed Ahtesham Gilani, Asim Shafiq Sulehri, Hamza Janjua, Adnan Arshad Sethi and others were also present. Furqat Sidiqov said that Uzbekistan and Pakistan had a number of old common religious, social and cultural values and both the nations were the custodians of a vast common heritage. He opined that direct relations between the traders and the trade organisations from both the countries could play vital role in improving the bilateral trade links. He invited the local business community to come forward and enjoy the benefits of vast market of Uzbekistan and other member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). He said that private sector had been encouraged in Uzbekistan since her emergence as an independent state in early 90s and currently manufacturing of automobiles, machinery, fertilisers and tourism were among the most thriving sectors in Uzbekistan. He told that he would strongly recommend the proposal of launching four flights of Uzbekistan Airlines every week from Sialkot to Tashkent. Later, Furqat Sidiqov visited the Sialkot International Airport and met the members of Sialkot International Airport Limited.
APP ADDS: Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan Furqat Sidiqov has said that his country is keen to enhance the volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and the two countries should work together to avail the advantage of geographic proximity to boost cooperation in various sectors.
Speaking to the SCCI members, he said Pakistan and Uzbekistan were enjoying cordial and friendly relations. He said the governments of both the countries had agreed to enhance bilateral trade volume to $300 million during the next five years. The Uzbekistan government was working on five-point agenda for further improving its economy and to bring radical changes in every sphere of life, he added. He said that special economic zones had been established for accommodating foreign investors and at present a large number of foreign companies were successfully functioning in these Special Economic Zones. In his welcome address, acting SCCI president Muhammad Sarfraz Butt said that there was a huge scope for export of quality products of Sialkot to Uzbekistan, adding that we need to exploit the scope to the maximum through mutual cooperation. Sarfraz Butt said that Pakistan and Uzbekistan had been enjoying cordial bilateral relations since the independence of Uzbekistan in 1991. Over the years Pakistan and Uzbekistan had been working for realising the goal of establishing functional transport corridors and institutionalising business linkages, he said. He said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan was relatively low and volume of trade between the two countries was over $24 million. “I firmly believe that we can increase the volume by creating strong connections between business communities of the two countries”, he added. He said that we appreciate the vision of Prime Ministers of Pakistan and Uzbekistan to increase trade by $300 million by utilising each others expertise and creating effective linkages. He added that Pakistani businessmen were also keen to strengthen ties with Uzbekistan through the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and other connectivity projects which would ensure regional development and prosperity.
