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Pakistan strengthens Central Asian bonds as Uzbek leader Mirziyoyev to arrives in Islamabad after Kazakh strategic partnership deal

By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will arrive in Pakistan on a two-day state visit on Thursday, shortly after Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev concluded his maiden trip to Islamabad -- the first by a Kazakh leader in 23 years -- during which 37 agreements were signed and a formal strategic partnership was established.

Invited by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mirziyoyev will lead a high-level delegation comprising senior cabinet ministers and business leaders.

He is scheduled to meet Pakistan’s president, hold delegation-level talks with the prime minister, and address the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum.

Officials said the discussions will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and explore new avenues for cooperation in trade, energy, defence, education, people-to-people exchanges, and regional connectivity.

Mirziyoyev’s visit, his second to Pakistan, reflects the accelerating diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Central Asian states. Coming on the heels of Kazakhstan’s landmark agreements, analysts say the trip signals Pakistan’s growing role as a regional hub linking Central and South Asia through economic partnerships and connectivity initiatives.

Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoy longstanding ties grounded in shared history, culture, and mutual aspirations for regional stability and prosperity, with both sides increasingly focused on expanding trade and investment opportunities.