Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 22 February, an online video conference was held between the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISMI) and the Islamabad Institute for Strategic Studies (ISIS) on the topic: "Prospects for the development of interconnectedness between Central and South Asia: Uzbekistan’s initiatives and Pakistan."

The meeting made it possible to thoroughly discuss the state of and prospects for expanding multifaceted cooperation between the two countries against the backdrop of strengthening the interconnectedness of Central and South Asia.

Opening the webinar, Akromjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the ISMI under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, emphasized that in recent years, interstate relations between Uzbekistan and Pakistan have received powerful dynamics and reached a completely new level. Such a trend is strategically important in the light of the growing regional economic interconnectedness of countries.

At the same time, A. Nematov noted, the relevance and demand for the development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan is justified by such factors as: developing new markets and increasing exports of finished products, ensuring uninterrupted supplies of energy and other raw materials, developing investment cooperation, ensuring stability and security of the region through active involvement in the regional processes of Afghanistan and the integration of the country into international transport corridors.

“Achieving these goals is of strategic importance for the stability and sustainable development of Central and South Asia, unlocking the huge potential for trans-regional cooperation between the two regions,” stated the First Deputy Director of the ISMI.

In the development of the discussion, the director of the ISII, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, emphasized that “it is time for Tashkent and Islamabad to strengthen cooperation in all directions. Today, the parties are actively building up bilateral ties. The volume of mutual trade and the number of joint business projects are steadily growing. Pakistani business circles see broad prospects for intensifying partnerships in priority sectors with Uzbek partners,” said the Pakistani expert.

According to A. Chaudhry, for Uzbekistan, located in the center of Eurasia, and for Pakistan, located at the crossroads of Central and Western Asia, such cooperation opens up great opportunities. In the context of this, he stressed, the role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is important, which will contribute to the restoration of interregional ties between Central and South Asia.

Moreover, the head of the Pakistani analytical center noted, the construction of the trans-Afghan transport corridor "Mazar-i-Sharif - Kabul - Peshawar" will allow the countries of Central Asia to gain access to world markets through the Pakistani ports of "Karachi" and "Gwadar", and will also serve to diversify and grow trade economic exchanges.

According to Dr. Talat Shabbir, Head of Sino-Pakistani Studies of the ISIS, “transport and communication infrastructure projects will contribute not only to strengthening interregional ties, but also to establishing lasting peace and stability on Afghan soil. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan can serve as a link between Central and South Asia.”

ISIS expert Ume Farva, supplementing her colleague, stressed that Tashkent and Islamabad adhere to a common vision regarding the prospects for stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan. The expert paid special attention to the expansion of economic relations between countries as the basis for maintaining regional security.

According to her, cooperation with Uzbekistan, located in the heart of Central Asia and bordering all the countries of the region, can help ensure regional security and strengthen close economic relations.

In turn, the head of the department of the International Institute of Central Asia Sherzod Faiziev focused on the current positive dynamics of relations between the countries of Central Asia and Pakistan. The expert noted that at the present stage, Islamabad has developed quite constructive relations in all areas with all the states of the region. It was noted that regular political dialogue, active economic and investment activities, rich cultural and humanitarian cooperation will help deepen relations between the countries and create conditions for strengthening the interconnectedness of Central and South Asia.

In conclusion, the participants of the video conference agreed that the successful solution of priority tasks to strengthen cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan will contribute to the expansion of multifaceted practical cooperation, increase the effectiveness of the ongoing reforms in our countries and improve the well-being of peoples.

As a result of the event, proposals were developed to saturate the negotiation agenda to deepen multifaceted bilateral relations, promote peaceful reconstruction in Afghanistan, and advance the process of building interconnectedness between the countries of Central and South Asia.