Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to accelerate work on expanding their Preferential Trade Agreement and set a target of increasing bilateral trade to $2 billion within the next two years following talks held in Tashkent.
According to an official statement issued on Friday, the discussions took place between Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industry Ihsaan Afzal and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade Shohrukh Gulamov. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic cooperation in line with the leadership’s shared vision.
The talks focused on fast-tracking the expansion of the existing PTA. Gulamov said both countries were finalising a significantly broadened list of products and that a formal understanding on the upgraded agreement was expected soon.
Afzal stressed the need to standardise trade documentation, harmonise customs procedures and inspection protocols, and improve digital connectivity to reduce delays and increase predictability for businesses. He also highlighted the importance of real-time cross-border data sharing to facilitate smoother trade flows.
The Uzbek side assured full cooperation and confirmed that technical teams were working to operationalise an Electronic Data Interchange system between the relevant authorities of both countries.
Uzbekistan identified textiles, leather, pharmaceuticals, and surgical instruments as priority sectors for joint ventures and technology transfer.
The statement said Afzal thanked the Uzbek authorities for their hospitality and reiterated Pakistan’s intention to further deepen economic ties with Uzbekistan.
