Karakalpakstan Proposes Joint Sports Equipment Production to Pakistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A delegation from Uzbekistan led by Farhod Ermanov, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, visited the Pakistani city of Sialkot, where they held talks with the management of leading sports equipment manufacturers. The main topic of the meeting was the creation of a joint production facility on the territory of Karakalpakstan, Dunyo News Agency reported.

The Uzbek delegation also included Alisher Tukhtaev, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan. During the visit, negotiations were held with Sayid Rahim Hussain, the Director of Leather Ware, Jahangir Iqbal, the Chairman of Silver Star, and Tahir Nadim, the CEO of Wembley Sports LTD.

The Uzbek side presented information regarding the investment potential of Karakalpakstan, business conditions for foreign investors, active tax and customs privileges, and opportunities for implementing industrial projects.

During the talks, it was noted that a high demand for sports equipment persists in the republic. According to data provided by the Uzbek side, approximately 500,000 footballs are required annually just for general education schools and preschool institutions.

The parties discussed the possibility of organizing joint production in Karakalpakstan to increase the localization level, manufacture import-substituting products, and expand export potential.

The representatives of the Pakistani companies were also invited to consider transferring part of their production capacities to Karakalpakstan and establishing a joint venture. The Uzbek side declared its readiness to allocate a land plot for the implementation of the project and to provide the future factory with the necessary engineering and communication infrastructure.

In addition, it was noted that locating production in Uzbekistan would allow companies to leverage the strategic logistical position of the country and export products to Russia and other regional markets without paying customs duties, under active agreements between CIS states.

Following the negotiations, the heads of Leather Ware and Silver Star expressed their readiness to study the submitted proposals in detail.

The parties agreed to organize a visit of delegations from these enterprises to Karakalpakstan for further practical development of the joint projects.