President Asif Ali Zardari met with Uzbekistan’s ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev in Islamabad on Thursday, and talked about how Pakistan really wants to do more with Uzbekistan. He said the countries are close, not just in politics but also trade, that can help ordinary people.
Zardari mentioned that there are lots of areas Pakistan wants to work on like farming, food, mining, IT, tourism, health and banking. He said that both countries should make these deals actually happen and not just leave them on paper like they sometimes do. Officials said the meeting was about practical approaches rather than formal agreements
He also said Pakistan is glad that Uzbekistan wants to buy halal meat, fruits and potatoes from Pakistan. Zardari said that could help Pakistani farmers and businesses, and increase trade which is still small compared to what it could be. He also thanked President Mirziyoyev for sending condolences after the Islamabad terrorist attack, saying it really shows that the countries support each other.
Ambassador Tukhtaev gave Zardari a letter from the Uzbek president. In it, Mirziyoyev thanked Pakistan for the warm welcome during his visit. He also appreciated being given the Nishan-e-Pakistan award and the honorary doctorate which Zardari said was very nice of him to mention. The ambassador also said Uzbekistan wants to develop Babar Park in Islamabad’s F-7 sector, and that a minister from Uzbekistan would come next week to discuss the project. At the end both sides said they want to keep talking and make sure the friendship actually results in projects and cooperation, not just meetings and letters.
Source: Radio Pakistan