Uzbekistan to launch direct flights for Karachi to boost trade ties: Envoy
Business
There has been a flurry of visits between two countries
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Uzbekistan plans to launch direct flights to Karachi, state media reported on Sunday, citing Uzbek Ambassador to Pakistan Alisher Tukhtaev.
The statement came amid Ambassador Tukhtaev's visit to Karachi this week, during which he addressed the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Karachi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), and members of the business community.
The ambassador highlighted the recent launch of direct flights between Tashkent and Lahore that underscored Uzbekistan’s commitment to fostering people-to-people contacts, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported.
“Our two nations are closer than ever, thanks to the realization of the long-awaited vision of regional connectivity,” the ambassador said, describing direct flights from Uzbekistan to Karachi as a "significant step" to foster closer ties.
The development comes amid Pakistan's efforts to consolidate its role as a pivotal trade and transit hub connecting the landlocked Central Asian states with the rest of the world, leveraging its strategic geographical position.
There has been a flurry of visits, investment talks and economic activity between officials from Pakistan and the Central Asian nations in recent months.
In Feb. 2023, Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed a $1 billion deal to increase bilateral trade at the eighth meeting of the Inter-governmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation in Tashkent. The agreement was aimed at encouraging the exchange of goods and services.
Ambassador Tukhtaev shared that Uzbekistan implemented a soft visa regime for Pakistani citizens in September 2023, facilitating business and tourist travel.
He said trade between Uzbekistan and Pakistan had tripled over the last few years, rising from $122 million in 2019 to $387 million in 2023.
He stressed the importance of untapped opportunities for further collaboration between the two countries, particularly in textiles, pharmaceuticals, leather and tannery, food processing, and agribusiness sectors, according to the APP report.
The Uzbek envoy commended the success of the “Made in Pakistan” single-country exhibition held in Tashkent in June 2024, which provided an invaluable platform for entrepreneurs from both nations to forge new trade and investment agreements. Building on this momentum, he announced plans for a “Made in Uzbekistan” industrial exhibition in Karachi later this year, expressing confidence that it would further strengthen economic ties.
“Uzbekistan offers a safe, conducive, and liberal environment for investment,” he stated, urging Pakistani businesses to capitalize on opportunities in various sectors and welcomed the idea of organizing business-to-business (B2B) meetings alongside business delegation visits to materialize trade and investment prospects.
