Perspective of Turkey: Uzbekistan and Pakistan Summit will create new opportunities for the development of long-term cooperation for the regional peace and prosperity between the two states.
The will of Uzbekistan to improve diplomatic and economic relations with other states is critical in the development of relations with foreign partners. In this regard, according to the news reported by Dunyo News Agency, the virtual summit held by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 14, 2021 is remarkable. Turkish experts also followed the summit closely.
It is seen that Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (ANKASAM) President Prof. Mehmet Seyfettin Erol made important remarks. Erol interpreted the summit as the continuation of Uzbekistan’s active foreign policy and associated it with the traditional positive relations with Pakistan. However, according to Erol, this is not the only issue. Erol also described this summit as a new and vital step to accelerate the expansion of the interaction between Central Asian and South Asian regions. Thus, Erol pointed out that the agenda of the event includes bilateral practical partnership and regional interaction issues and said that the importance of this summit goes far beyond bilateral relations. According to him, the main issue is the Trans-Afghan Railway Project. That is why the President of ANKASAM emphasizes the promotion of the Trans-Afghan Railway Project, increasing the mutual trade volume, expanding the cooperation between the leading enterprises and companies of the two countries, restarting aviation and highlighting inter-regional contacts as well as cultural and humanitarian aid activities.
Assessing the subject, Erol said, “Uzbekistan and Pakistan are states that have a special role in their regions; they are proactive actors of international relations. Based on the foreign policy and economic potential of the two states, it can be suggested that Uzbekistan and Pakistan have important opportunities to further strengthen the positive trends in their regions. That is why I believe both states are strategic partners to centralize their positions in the international arena.” Based on this, Erol expressed his belief that the recent summit would create new opportunities for the development of multilateral cooperation that prioritizes regional peace and prosperity.
Finally, Erol announced that ANKASAM is planning to hold an international scientific conference on counter-terrorism efforts focused on Central Asia and South Asia in the second half of May and invited think-tank representatives from Uzbekistan to take an active role in this event.