Uzbek Ambassador to Pakistan Furkat A. Sidikov for enhance trade with Islamabad

Eurasia News

Islamabad, Pakistan: The Uzbek Ambassador to Pakistan Furkat A. Sidikov has taken a proactive approach to enhance trade and commerce between Tashkent and Islamabad.

It has been observed by diplomatic circles that Ambassador Furkat A. Sidikov  who had served in United States before assuming his duties in Islamabad is proactive to contact important circles is capital city of Pakistan.

He has been meeting important personalities in Foreign office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce and Trade while he is engrossing in trade sector effectively and showcasing Uzbekistan as a potential country from where traders can get benefits and can enhance their businesses. .

During his last visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and his interaction with local business community, he was of the view that Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoyed good political relations since long, but it was the need of the hour to further strengthen bilateral trade and economic relations to achieve mutually beneficial results.

Furkat A. Sidikov
Uzbek Ambassador to Pakistan Furkat A. Sidikov with Federal Minister of Pakistan

During his meeting with industrialists and traders, he showcased Uzbekistan as a manufacture of high quality tractors, agriculture machinery, heavy duty trucks and buses and stressed that Pakistani entrepreneurs should explore possibilities of importing these products from Uzbekistan that would help in improving agriculture productivity and transportation facilities in Pakistan.

He said that Uzbekistan was energy-rich country exporting its surplus power to Russia, China and Afghanistan and was ready to cooperate with Pakistan in overcoming its energy woes.

He said lack of direct connectivity and information about business prospects was the major reason of low volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. He informed business community that direct flights will be started between Lahore and Tashkent in March this year that would greatly help in promoting bilateral trade between the two countries.

He said during the visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan to Uzbekistan in November 2015, the leadership of both countries had agreed to strengthen their ties by enhancing trade and improving connectivity which has created new hopes for businessmen of both countries.

He said many Pakistani products were going to Uzbekistan via Dubai and both countries should focus on promoting direct trade that would be more beneficial for their people.

He said frequent exchange of trade delegations and holding single country exhibitions were the most effective tools to promote bilateral trade and stressed that both governments should facilitate businessmen in undertaking these ventures.