Uzbektourism, Uzbek national tourism administrator, opened its office in Islamabad, capital city of Pakistan, Jahon news agency of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry reported.

The report said the opening of office directed to promote tourism in Uzbekistan. The representatives of political, business and public circles of Pakistan, as well as the tourist industry of both countries took part in the solemn inauguration ceremony of the office. Those who took the floor at the ceremony have said that people of Uzbekistan and Pakistan have been related with centuries-old ties of friendship.

The sides accord profound significance to further expanding and consolidating the cooperation between the two countries, particularly, in trade, economic, humanitarian, and cultural spheres.

Uzbekistan and Pakistan enjoy a rich cultural potential and development of tourism shall provide for closer ties between the two people.

"The two countries have profound opportunities to extend the trade and economic relations," Talha Mahmood, the Pakistan Senate Interior Affairs Committee Chairman, the president of the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Society, has said, "at the moment, the trade, exchange of technologies in leather, pharmaceutical and textile spheres of industry are turning into the priority directions in the joint trade and economic activity".

The director general of Pakistan’s Tourism development corporation Salman Jawed has said that Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and China eye for construction of the road, which would promote the increase in trade and tourism between these countries. Mr. Jawed also spoke about the near future plans o­n establishing the bus route.

Local print media outlets such as The Nation, The Statesman, Daily Times, and Pakistan Observer have broadly covered the inauguration of the Uzbektourism Representation Office in Islamabad.

They wrote that opening of the Uzbek tourist center in Pakistan should promote the increase in numbers of the Pakistani tourists who wish to travel to Uzbekistan.