SARGODHA, 24 July. /Dunyo IA/. Representatives of the Embassy of Uzbekistan visited the Pakistani city of Sargodha to hold talks on deepening cooperation and exploring opportunities to diversify bilateral trade and economic relations, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Sargodha, located in the Punjab province, is one of Pakistan’s major industrial and agricultural centers with a population of about 1 million. The city is known for its metal casting, glass and textile industries, footwear and pesticide production, diesel engine manufacturing, and certified electrical equipment for the European market. It is also famous for its citrus fruits, especially the "Kinnow" mandarin.

A meeting was held at the Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss cooperation prospects with this promising region. The event gathered over 50 representatives from local business circles and small and medium-sized enterprises.

In his opening remarks, Muhammad Imran, First Vice President of the Chamber, emphasized that all the necessary organizational and legal frameworks for establishing business ties between the two countries are in place. This, he noted, is generating strong interest among Sargodha entrepreneurs in developing direct partnerships with Uzbek counterparts.

A presentation was delivered on Uzbekistan’s economic potential, opportunities within its free economic zones, localization advantages, and incentives for launching new production facilities. Relevant statistical data was also shared with participants.

During the Q&A session, the sides discussed cooperation prospects across several areas, including proposals to streamline customs processes for production setups, collaboration in rare metal extraction and the jewelry industry, enhanced cooperation in poultry farming and digital technologies, and opportunities for cultivating and supplying premium rice varieties.

As a result of the talks, agreements were reached on organizing mutual visits and B2B meetings between business delegations from Sargodha and Uzbekistan, as well as holding a special exhibition of Sargodha-made products in Tashkent.

The visit also outlined targeted plans for establishing large-scale and mutually beneficial cooperation with Sargodha in agri-export, electrical engineering, jewelry manufacturing, and digital technology sectors.