TASHKENT: Pakistan and Uzbekistan agreed on Tuesday to strengthen their ties by enhancing trade and improving connectivity in the region.

Addressing a joint press conference after the signing of agreements, Prime Minis­ter Nawaz Sharif and Uzbek President Islam Karimov expressed satisfaction over the ties and stressed the need for harnessing the full potential of bilateral cooperation in different spheres.

Prime Minister Sharif, who is on a two-day visit to the Uzbek Republic, said the two countries shared the affinities of culture, faith and customs and called for sustaining ties through better cooperation.

During a meeting with President Karimov earlier in the day, he said the two sides should play a coordinated role to counter terrorism and improve regional connectivity.

Mr Sharif said his government was keen to strengthen ties with Uzbekistan, adding that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and other connectivity projects would ensure regional development and prosperity.

He said that once a rail link between Pakistan and Uzbekistan was built, trade activities in the two countries would improve considerably.

The prime minister said the two sides believed that regional challenges could be tackled only through coordinated and concerted efforts.

He said Pakistani ports offered the shortest land route to Uzbekistan for access to the Arabian Sea and unique geographical locations of Pakistan and Uzbekistan were mutually advantageous for the two countries.

President Karimov said the summit meeting and the documents signed would open up new avenues of cooperation between the two brotherly states.

He said Pakistan enjoyed an important status in Asia and the Muslim world due to its geographical and geopolitical position.

He said that economic cooperation between the two countries did not meet the existing potential and stressed that it needed to be enhanced.

He praised the peace process in Afghanistan and said Uzbekistan believed that regional stability was linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Addressing a banquet hosted by President Karimov, Prime Minister Sharif said that establishment of peace in Afghanistan was needed for peace and stability in the region.

Mr Sharif stressed the need for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the fields of climate change, agriculture and science and technology.

He said his government wanted to build an energy infrastructure corridor to enhance connectivity with the Central Asian States.

He invited the Uzbek president to visit Pakistan.

Documents signed

Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed three documents to strengthen cooperation in areas of economy, trade and foreign affairs.

The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Sharif and President Karimov.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Trade Development Authority and the Uzbek ministry of economic affairs and investment to enhance bilateral trade. Tariq Fatemi and Uzbek Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Ganiey Elyor Majidovich signed the document.

Mr Fatemi and Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov signed a protocol to enhance cooperation between the foreign affairs ministries of the two countries.

A protocol for establishing an inter-government arrangement to avoid double taxation was also signed.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2015