ISLAMABAD: Uzbekistan Ambassador Mr Oybek Usmanov Saturday hoped that the Transit Trade and Preferential Trade Agreement which became effective since March of this year would help boost bilateral trade from US$ 150 million to US$ one billion soon.
“Uzbekistan-Pakistan Inter-governmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation (IGC) was held in February 24th this year in Tashkent. Transit Trade and Preferential trade Agreements which became effective since March of this year allowed to reach bilateral trade volume of $150 million. The Road Map agreement to increase bilateral trade upto $1 billion was signed during IGC meeting and the next step will be the signing Road map on Industrial cooperation, Inshallah,” said the Ambassador while addressing a group of leading journalists and scholars gathered from various think-tanks here at the Uzbekistan Embassy to observe the Day of Journalism in Uzbekistan.
Dr Mehmoodul Hassan Khan, Regional Expert on Central Asia, South Caucasus and Middle East, gave a detailed presentation to the participants on the upcoming Presidential elections in Uzbekistan.
Referring to the Day of Journalism, Ambassador Oybek Usmanov said that on June 27, 1906 in Tashkent was published first ever in Central Asia Uzbek newspaper under the title “TARAQQI”.
“Likewise, the 1st ever newspaper in Urdu by the name ‘Jam-e Jahon Numa’ was published 1822 in Kolkatta, and ‘Daily Jang’ Urdu newspaper was published in 1939 in Karachi, then ‘Daily Imroze’ in Urdu was launched in Lahore in 1947,” said the Ambassador.
“So it’s a great honour to me to congratulate Pakistani prominent experts and journalists photographers with this professional event. It’s well known indeed that journalists play an important role in society as a source of news, information and opinion. They provide an important public service by uncovering the truth and holding the powerful accountable. Journalists help create informed citizens who can make decisions based on facts rather than rumour,” he added.
He said one of the most important roles of journalism is to educate people about the world, helps people understand their place in society and ongoing events.
“Journalism is an important pillar of democracy and any statehood because it promotes human rights and freedom of the press. Journalism promotes democracy by providing a platform for citizens to share their voices. Journalists across the world face serious risks and threats every day, just for doing their jobs – reporting the news and bringing information to the public,” he added.
Referring to the upcoming Presidential elections in Uzbekistan, Amb Usmanov said that the renewed Basic Law unites society around the idea of building a new Uzbekistan.
“It states that Uzbekistan’s foreign policy is based on the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity of states, non-use of force or threat of force, peaceful settlement of disputes, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and norms of international law. In addition, Uzbekistan pursues a peaceful foreign policy aimed at developing bilateral and multilateral relations with states and international organizations,” he added.
“Global and regional cooperation processes have reached a new level. My President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s international initiatives have received broad support from the international community. The foreign policy of the New Uzbekistan has led to fundamental changes in the political atmosphere in Central Asia and to the recognition of close interconnectivity with South Asia and interdependence at the sub-regional and global levels,” he added.
“Our bilateral exports is almost the same between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. PM Shehbaz Sharif is likely to visit Uzbekistan to attend SCO conference,” he added.
Managing Director APP Mohammad Asim Khichi said that journalists can influence policies and transform the institutions.
“Media is very vibrant and positive criticism is welcome and the government changes its policies in light of criticism of media. Media is influential in bringing the people together. I hope that media exchanges can really help Pakistan and Uzbekistan governments learn from each other’s experiences,” he concluded.
