PM Kakar in Tashkent to attend two-day ECO Summit

• PM to reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to ECO Vision 2025 at summit. 
• Meets President of Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. 
• PM Kakar and Mirziyoyev discuss bilateral ties in meeting. 

TASHKENT: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday touched down in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on a two-day visit to attend the 16th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO).

The premier and his delegation comprising interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and caretaker Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz received a warm welcome from his Uzbek counterpart Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov at the Tashkent airport 

At the summit, the prime minister will reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to ECO Vision 2025 and the promotion of regional cooperation in the areas of trade, transport, connectivity, energy, tourism and economic growth and productivity.

After his arrival, PM Kakar held a bilateral meeting with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The two leaders reiterated the resolve to finalise the Strategic Partnership Agreement at the earliest to promote regional economic integration. 

The bilateral ties were discussed in a bilateral meeting between PM Kakar and Mirziyoyev. 

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to play an active role for the regional connectivity. The leaders exchanged views on deepening bilateral cooperation in a range of areas including political, trade, economic, security, defence, and connectivity. 

Expressing satisfaction at the growing level of bilateral cooperation, Kakar stressed the importance of sustaining the momentum. He underlined that the recent operationalisation of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and the Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) would boost bilateral trade and transit trade in addition to streamlining the Economic Cooperation Organisation Trade Agreement (ECOTA). 

Both sides then reaffirmed their commitment to the early completion of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project. 

PM Kakar and President Mirziyoyev also discussed on the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza and other regional and global developments.

The ECO summit will be held from November 8 to 9, 2023.

Besides attending the summit, the prime minister will also engage in bilateral discussions with the leadership of Uzbekistan and other participating leaders.

This is the first time Premier Kakar is attending the ECO summit after taking the office of the prime minister. 

Earlier, the premier participated in the 78th United Nations General Assembly session and meetings on various other forums linked to the UN in September.