ISLAMABAD, Apr 29 (IN): Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan on Tuesday met Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Sharifzoda Yusuf Toir, to discuss measures aimed at enhancing bilateral trade, strengthening transit connectivity, and deepening institutional cooperation between the two countries.During the meeting, both sides agreed to advance trade and transit cooperation while exploring new corridor mechanisms to improve regional connectivity.
The commerce minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating regional trade through improved logistics, diversified transit routes, and enhanced coordination with partner countries. He emphasized the importance of timely completion of internal procedures under transit frameworks, including QTTA arrangements, to operationalize existing mechanisms and move forward on future cooperation.Highlighting the need for an integrated commercial corridor, Jam Kamal Khan said that establishing logistics hubs, offloading facilities, and multimodal transport systems would create an efficient supply chain linking Pakistan with Central Asia. He noted that cooperation with China would remain key to strengthening regional connectivity.He stressed that reliance on a single transit route was not sustainable, underscoring the importance of maintaining multiple operational corridors to ensure continuity and resilience in trade.
He also pointed out that cost and efficiency must be central considerations in selecting transit routes.The minister further called for stronger institutional linkages, proposing direct engagement between export and import agencies of both countries through virtual meetings to initiate sector-specific collaboration and draft memoranda of understanding (MoUs).Referring to the role of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan, he said government-to-government trade mechanisms could be utilized for key commodities while also supporting private sector participation.
Ambassador Sharifzoda Yusuf Toir appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to enhance regional connectivity and emphasized the importance of reliable and cost-effective transit routes. He highlighted Tajikistan’s potential to export surplus energy to Pakistan and identified opportunities for cooperation in aluminum trade and industrial supply chains.Both sides agreed to utilize platforms such as the Joint Economic Commission to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
They also proposed organizing a business-to-business (B2B) forum alongside upcoming engagements to promote direct interaction between private sector stakeholders.The meeting concluded with both sides expressing satisfaction over the constructive dialogue and reaffirming their commitment to maintaining close coordination to translate discussions into tangible outcomes.
