In a bid to advance bilateral ties with Uzbekistan, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday guaranteed Uzbekistan of total facilitation in access to Pakistani ports. Dr Abdulaziz Kamilov, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Dr Abdulaziz Kamilov was in Pakistan for a 2-day visit.
Imran Khan held a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister where he assured him of complete facilitation in access to Pakistani ports. The two countries, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are currently working on two development options in this regard. The first option is the Trans-Afghan railway project while the other is the road route via China.
A statement issued after the meeting by Imran Khan’s office stated that Pakistan’s Karachi and Gwadar ports could become the gateway to landlocked Central Asia as Pakistan provided the Central Asian Republics the shortest route to international seas. The statement said that Pakistan would facilitate Uzbekistan’s access to its ports.
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Currently, Uzbekistan uses the Iranian seaport of Bandar Abbas for trading outside. It is looking out for new options and the main reasons behind considering Pakistani ports include some political considerations and, the short distance. Due to the short distance, Pakistani ports are a more economical option for Uzbekistan.
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