IRS–ISRS Expert Conference Underscores Expanding Pakistan–Uzbekistan Partnership

WNAM REPORT: The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad in collaboration with the Institute of Strategic and Regional Studies, (ISRS), Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hosted an Expert Online Conference titled “Pakistan and Uzbekistan: Strategic Partnership, Connectivity, and Sustainable Development in a Changing World”. It brought together policymakers, diplomats, and experts from Pakistan and Uzbekistan to discuss regional cooperation in a changing global environment. The conference was a prelude to Uzbekistan President, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s historic visit to Pakistan in the first week of February, 2026.
The conference commenced with welcome remarks by Mr. Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad; H.E. Ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Pakistan; and H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Farooq, Ambassador of Pakistan to Uzbekistan, underlining the importance of strategic partnerships and regional connectivity prospects between the two countries.
The inaugural thematic discussions were moderated by Mr. Bakhtiyor Mustafayev, Deputy Director of the ISRS. The first session on Political Dialogue and Security Issues featured renowned experts including Mr. Akram Umarov, Director, Institute for Advanced International Studies, University of World Economy and Diplomacy
and Mr. Muhammad Amir Rana, President of the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies in Islamabad. It focused on regional security dynamics, cross-border challenges, and political coordination in the context of developments in the wider region.
The second session on Economic Cooperation and Industrial Cooperation included insights from Ms. Nodira Abdunazarova, Head of the Department, Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Studies in Uzbekistan and Mr. Haroon Sharif, Leading Economist, Former Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Investment in Pakistan. Mr. Sharif examined the prospects for expanding bilateral trade, strengthening industrial collaboration, and enhancing economic linkages between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
The third session was moderated by Mr. Hamzah Rifaat, Head of the Central Asia Program at IRS, titled Transport and Logistics Interconnectivity. Mr. Bekzod Kholmatov, Director Center for Transport and Logistics Studies, Ministry of Transport in the Republic of Uzbekistan and Maj. Gen (r) Dr. Muhammad Samrez Salik, Former DG, Institute for Strategic Studies Research and Analysis (ISSRA), NDU, Islamabad. The session focused on regional transport corridors, logistics connectivity, and interregional integration amid current geopolitical challenges.
The final session on Human Capital, Education, and Technology featured Mr. Quvonchbek Mahmudov, Researcher at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies and Dr. Amina Khan, Director, Center of Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA), at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, Pakistan. It highlighted cooperation in education, skills development, technology, and academic exchanges as key drivers of the sustainable partnership between Tashkent and Islamabad.
The conference concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Eldor Aripov and Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, reaffirming the commitment of Pakistan and Uzbekistan to deepening cooperation across strategic, economic, and developmental domains.