Pak-Uzbek joint working group to boost blue economy

Islamabad : Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to form a joint working group to deepening maritime cooperation with a focus on unlocking the untapped potential of the blue economy, green shipping and creating a robust trans-regional trade architecture connecting Central Asia to the Arabian Sea.

This was revealed in a meeting between Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and Ambassador of Uzbekistan Alisher Tukhtaev.

Both sides emphasised the urgency of building sustainable maritime linkages to support shared economic growth, regional connectivity and long-term prosperity through ocean-based industries. The both sides explored avenues for joint ventures in key blue economy sectors, including marine fisheries, aquaculture, seafood processing and coastal tourism, all poised to generate high returns in Gulf, African and Southeast Asian markets.

Mr Chaudhry stressed the importance of integrating Uzbekistan into maritime ecosystem through ports like Gwadar and Karachi offering cost-effective and efficient access to global markets. Uzbekistan can invest in improving road infrastructure and connectivity to Gwadar port underlining its commercial viability and alignment with global sustainability goals, he suggested.

A proposal was made by the minister to develop a trade corridor, linking Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’s dry ports with Pakistan’s seaports via road and rail networks.

This initiative, potentially unlocking over $20 billion in trade, would serve as a strategic artery for landlocked Central Asian economies, accelerating their access to the maritime domain, it was observed.

The meeting also discussed integrated logistics solutions bonded warehouses, multimodal transport systems and smart port infrastructure as enablers of efficient cross-border trade. Synergy with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was recognised as vital for expanding Uzbekistan’s reach to a $6 trillion regional market.

Responding to the minister’s proposal, both sides agreed to convene fast-track consultative meetings involving technical experts. These sessions will identify Uzbekistan's specific maritime needs and determine Pakistan’s potential offerings to support them, said a statement.