26 June 2004	Saturday	07 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

RAWALPINDI, June 25: The ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan, Anvar Salikhbaev, on Friday appreciated the government's economic policies.

He was talking to a four-member delegation of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) led by its president, Hussain Ahmed Ozgen. The RCCI team, which included Sheikh Shabbir, Haroon Ihsan Piracha and Akbar Ozgan, called on Mr Salikhbaev at the Uzbekistan Embassy.

Mr Salikhbaev said Uzbekistan and Pakistan had cordial relations since long. Uzbekistan gives great importance to its trade with Pakistan owing to the latter's strategic location, he added.

He said the private sector in both the countries could play important role in enhancing economic activities between the two sides.

The RCCI president said Pakistan and Uzbekistan had close historical and geographical ties but unfortunately, these had not been translated into commercial and trade relations. It is high time to provide a structure for strong trade relations between the two countries in the future, he added.

He said Pakistan was one of the world's fastest growing economies - the seventh fastest in Asia. Annual gross domestic product is growing at more than six per cent a year, he added.