In February 2026, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will visit Pakistan, and on 5-6 February, an Uzbek-Pakistani business forum will be held in Islamabad. These events mark a new stage in cooperation between the two countries.
The intensification of cooperation can be explained by two key factors. On the one hand, there is significant but as yet unrealised potential for trade and economic growth. On the other hand, there is the promotion of a major transport project that could give relations an additional boost and create a sustainable basis for expanding cooperation.
For landlocked Uzbekistan, access to external markets directly depends on the efficiency of transport corridors. High tariffs, long delivery times and dependence on transit routes remain key constraints on exports and investment activity. In these conditions, the development of shorter and more cost-effective routes is of strategic importance.
This is where the interests of Uzbekistan and Pakistan largely coincide. Pakistan has access to the Arabian Sea and a developed port infrastructure, making it one of the most promising destinations for Uzbek goods to enter world markets. For Pakistan, in turn, expanding ties with Uzbekistan means an increase in transit flows, port utilisation and a strengthening of the country’s role as a regional logistics hub between Central and South Asia.
