On 3 December 2025 the Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) Eldor Aripov held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Uzbekistan Ahmed Farooq.

The sides expressed satisfaction with the steady growth of Uzbek–Pakistani cooperation in recent years. An important milestone in strengthening bilateral relations was the official visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif to Uzbekistan in February 2025. The agreements reached during the visit laid the foundation for a new stage of bilateral engagement.

One of the key topics of the dialogue was the discussion of prospects for joint work within initiatives aimed at enhancing transport and economic linkages between Central and South Asia. These initiatives open opportunities for deeper integration and the expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation among countries in the region.

Special attention was devoted to the outcomes of the Seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia held in Tashkent. The Ambassador of Pakistan highly commended the initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev aimed at strengthening regional cooperation. According to him the decisions adopted at the Summit create new opportunities for expanding cooperation between Central Asia and other countries.

In this context the accession of Azerbaijan to the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia format was noted which enhances connectivity between Central Asia and the Caucasus and creates additional opportunities for market integration along the “Central Asia – South Asia – Caucasus” corridor.

In addition, the sides emphasized the prospects for deepening cooperation between ISRS and leading research and analytical centers of Pakistan. The importance of expanding expert exchanges was underlined as a means of developing new ideas and practical proposals to further strengthen the comprehensive partnership between Uzbekistan and Pakistan.