Pakistan Prime Minister to Visit Uzbekistan from Tuesday    
By Sarah Kamal 'Pakistan Times' Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will leave for Uzbekistan on Tuesday on a three-day official visit to promote bilateral relations and discuss regional situation.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Ms Tasnim Aslam in her weekly briefing on Monday said President General Pervez Musharraf visited Uzbekistan in March 2005 while Uzbek President Islam Karimov visited Pakistan in May 2006.

She said it will be the first ever visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to Uzbekistan, during which he will have talks with Uzbek leaders.

The Prime Minister besides meeting with President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, will meet representatives of business community.

The Prime Minister will also visit Samarkand and Bokhara.

A number of agreements and Memorandum of Understandings on various subjects are expected to be signed during the visit.

Pakistan is building multiple corridors for cooperation in energy, trade and transportation sectors, which will create opportunities for the entire region including Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is rich in energy resources and the two countries can enter into joint ventures in the fields of oil, gas and petroleum sectors.

Uzbekistan has recently resumed Tashkent-Lahore-Tashkent flights and considering to initiate Tashkent-Karachi-Tashkent flights as well.●