Tashkent and Islamabad are planning to sign a twin-city agreement, as well as are considering the issue of resuming direct flights, including freight.

This became known following the meeting between the capital's khokim Jahongir Artikhodjayev and the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Uzbekistan Yusuf Shami.

At the meeting, the parties also discussed issues of attracting investment from Pakistan, the construction of a network of private schools and pre-school educational institutions with an innovative teaching method in Tashkent.

It is worth noting that Uzbekistan is the largest trading partner of Pakistan in Central Asia. Bilateral trade in 2017 amounted to $36.2 million (exports - $9.9 million, imports - $26.3 million). In the same year, the work of the exhibition “Made in Uzbekistan” was launched at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Islamabad, and direct flights between Tashkent and Lahore were resumed.

In 2018, there was a significant increase in business cooperation between enterprises of Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Thus, in March last year, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and the Center for Global and Strategic Studies of Pakistan signed an agreement on the establishment of the Uzbek-Pakistani Business Council, in April its first meeting was held in Islamabad.

The Uzbek-Pakistani Business Council includes representatives of state organizations and business circles from both countries engaged in agriculture and water management, trade and marketing, cotton growing, textiles, pharmaceuticals and agricultural engineering.