Speech of H.E. Aybek Arif Usmanov at 33rd Independence Day of Uzbekistan
H.E. Jam Kamal Khan, Hon Federal Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan for commerce,
Dear Dean of diplomatic corps in Islamabad Ambassador Otajan Mavlamov,
Dear Generals, Hon Senators, MPAs, former federal Ministers and Secretaries,
My dear colleagues, ambassadors and High commissioners, prominent experts, journalists, ladies and gentleman,
Assalom aleykum wa rahmatulla wa barakatohy.
Many thanks indeed to all of you for joining in todays celebration on Independence day of Uzbekistan in Islamabad. Im extremely grateful to the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Hon Asif Ali Zardari, Hon PM Shahbaz Sharif, the Goverment of Pakistan, Pakistan army Navy and Air force for great support to our connectivity Strategy.
Availing this opportunity let me also congratulate brave Pakistani nation on yesterday Army and Martyrs Day and today we all joined the celebrations of Pakistan Air Force Yaum-e Fazaya as great manifestation of unity, resilience, dedication to defend Motherland its peacefull life and longterm stability in the region. Our Ministries of Defense are regularly holding Staff Talks on military cooperation and according to Agreement on military-technical cooperation this year 1st meeting of the Joint Working Commission was held in Islamabad. The Uzbekistan and Pakistan enjoying active cooperation in the sphere of military training as well as holding multilateral exercises on combatting terrorism. Dear friends, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are not only genuine partners but brotherly cooperation has been elevated to a level of the strategical partnership! Only in last 3 years my Leader Hon President of Uzbekistan H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev more than 9 times has held personal interaction with his Pakistani counterparts the PM Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, strengthening the trade and industrial, technological projects as well as the active military cooperation between our countries. As it was agreed between our ministers of Foreign relations – DPM Ishaq Dar Sb and my Minister Mr. Bakhtiar Saidov (during his last meetings in Islamabad) we are actively implementing the proactive Economic Diplomacy, further cementing our multifaceted cooperation through 74 joint bilateral agreements and MOUs.
H.E. Jam Kamal Khan! Im gratefull to you for gracing this occasion as Chief Guest representing Hon PM and the Gov of Pakistan! My best respects and wishes go to, former Secretary Mr. Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui, EAD Division Secretary Mr. Kazim Niazi as well as Railways Ministry Secretary Mr. Mazhar Ali Shah who are working with Uzbek collegues 24\7 to provide the dynamically growing bilateral trade, investments and transit corridors. By our joint efforts we have increased upto half billion of bilateral trade via brotherly Afghanistan based on Transit and Preferential trade agreements. Pakistan (and Turkey are) the only countries with whom Uzbekistan has reached such level of trade and logistics cooperation. Alhamdulillah. No doubt that our teams will reach very soon the goals of 1 bln Trade and Industrial cooperation Road Maps, Inshallah. My heartfelt thanks of course go to all professional teams of the Prime Minister Office, Ministries of foreign affairs, commerce and industries, Railways and aviation, Finance, Economic and Security Divisions Ministry of Food security and many other respective ministries and entities. Only this year we been able to arrange more than a 50 high-level meetings more than hundred ministerial summits. In Tashkent and Islamabad Samarqand and Lahore, Bukhara and Karachi Peshawar and Termiz we gained most remarkable results – as the people to people contacts, B2B forums strengthening region to region connectivity.
Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen!
The Hon President of Uzbekistan H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his address on the 33nd Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan has stressed that large-scale work carried out in recent years. Uzbekistan GDP increased by 6.4% in 2024 (6.2% for the same period in 2023) and amounted to $101 billion (inflation – 5.2%), foreign direct investments has increased by 37% and amounted to $22 billion as well as foreign trade turnover with 186 countries increased by 8.5% (export level amounted to $45 billion). “Only united – we are a one nation, only together – a strong country!”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. The government of Uzbekistan is proudly serving to people in strengthening the political stability, the economic development and the cooperation with foreign partners. We all diplomats based here in Islamabad are witnessing that same wise approach and new Development Strategy is now been implemented in Pakistan under the leadership of PM Shehbaz Sharif. Dear friends! Our Leaders underscored the importance of further accelerating regional connectivity in the fields of textiles, pharmaceutical production, renewable energy, agriculture, IT logistics and many other sectors. Particular attention of our nations and brotherly neighbor Afghanistan is the construction project of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway.
In Tashkent new project office was established and recently the Government of Pakistan (Ministry of Railways) hosted in Islamabad trilateral meeting of the project office. Three countries have signed the Protocol upon the feasibility studies, financing and construction of this game changer project. Let me express my confidence that every next year meetings will be resulted with new significant inputs for the further re-connectivity between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. What a honor and exceptional privilege for me to be posted for the third time in this great country Pakistan and be a humble servant of the re-connectivity between our two regions and nations. In conlusion, Im honored to express my deep respect to all of You for joining the celebration of Uzbekistan Independence Day in Islamabad convey best wishes to brotherly Pakistani nation ans successes in all endevours, Inshallah.
Pak-Uzbek Dosti Zinda Bad!
Pak-Uzbek connectivity Painda Bad!
