ISLAMABAD, 10 November / IA "Dunyo" /. The Embassy of Uzbekistan, together with the Islamabad Institute of Strategic Studies, held a presentation of a new book by Pakistani expert and Executive Director of the South Asia and International Relations Research Centre, Mahmood ul-Hassan Khan, titled "Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Great Leader of Reforms and Regional Integration", the IA "Dunyo" correspondent reports.

The chief guest at the ceremony was Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture of Pakistan Awrangzeb Khan Khichi. Present at the event were heads of ministries and departments, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, business and academic figures, media representatives, as well as fellow countrymen living in Islamabad and its environs.

The event opened with the national anthems of Uzbekistan and Pakistan, followed by a screening of a documentary about the work of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Opening the presentation, the Institute’s Director, Sohaid Mahmood, expressed his satisfaction that the academic ceremony was held within the Institute’s walls—something he described as symbolising the continuing progression and strengthening of Uzbek-Pakistani cooperation. He emphasised that the book contains 39 analytical essays which systematically uncover the nature of the political, economic, social and cultural reforms, the modernisation processes, and the open and pragmatic foreign policy of Uzbekistan.

Sohaid Mahmood noted that strategic documents such as the "New Uzbekistan Development Strategy for 2022–2026", the "Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy" and other conceptual programmes reflect the will of the Uzbek people to build, the key initiatives of the government for national development, and the principles of building a social state. He said these themes are detailed in the book.

Ambassador of Uzbekistan Alisher Tukhtaev, delivering a welcoming address, highlighted that within a short period two important books about Uzbekistan have been presented in Islamabad – Muhammad Abbas Khan’s "Uzbekistan: Third Renaissance – The Concept of the Future" and Mahmood ul-Hassan Khan’s "Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Great Leader of Reforms and Regional Integration". The diplomat said this signals the growing interest of Pakistan’s academic community in modern Uzbekistan.

The Ambassador stressed that the book provides an in-depth coverage of the large-scale reforms carried out under President Mirziyoyev’s leadership in macroeconomics, financial liberalization, poverty reduction, foreign policy, cultural diplomacy and regional integration. According to him, the author builds his analysis around the Uzbek leader’s guiding principle: "Reforms are not carried out for statistics, but for humans, their dignity and future."

He noted that the book highlights successes in developing the digital economy, "green" energy, attracting foreign investment and creating new jobs for youth. It also remarks that the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Pakistan has reached a qualitatively new level thanks to the efforts of the leaders of both countries – President Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – with joint work being conducted on the Trans-Afghan railway project and raising mutual trade to US $ 2 billion.

Federal Minister Awrangzeb Khan Khichi described the transformations happening in Uzbekistan as the "Uzbek model of development", saying he personally witnessed positive changes during his visit to the country.

"We live in a global world, and positive processes occurring in our neighbours, including Uzbekistan, find resonance in our region. The expansion of trade-economic ties and implementation of joint infrastructure projects will bring us even closer. The Government of Pakistan highly values the initiatives of President Mirziyoyev," he emphasised.

The author of the book, Dr Mahmood ul-Hassan Khan, said that the main goal of his work was to offer a comprehensive coverage of the reforms underway under President Mirziyoyev’s leadership and to provide a scholarly analysis of their influence on regional integration processes and the awareness of Pakistan’s public about these transformations.

He underscored that the person—human being—is at the heart of Uzbekistan’s reforms, and that the economic liberalisation, state governance modernisation, poverty reduction and business climate improvement being carried out by the country have enabled it in a short time to enter a phase of sustainable development. According to him, Uzbekistan’s foreign policy under President Mirziyoyev is grounded in the principles of openness, good-neighbourliness and constructive dialogue, contributing to the transformation of Central Asia into a region of trust, cooperation and stability.

He highlighted specific initiatives of the Uzbek leader in building the Trans-Afghan railway and energy projects, which form a strategic platform connecting Central and South Asia and strengthening transport-economic links across regions.

In conclusion the author characterized President Mirziyoyev as a modern leader who not only steers a process of deep domestic reform, but also advances ideas of regional integration. He said the book is intended to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

During the ceremony the author symbolically donated a copy of the book to the Embassy of Uzbekistan.

Speaking further, the President of the South Asia and International Relations Research Centre, retired Major-General Said Amir Khalid Jaffri, noted that recently Pakistan is hosting more and more events dedicated to Uzbekistan, which, in his view, signals the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations.

He emphasized that President Mirziyoyev, elected in 2016, succeeded in transforming the country’s foreign policy, strengthening trust among Central Asian states and activating ties with South Asia. Within the country, he pointed out, special attention is paid to socially oriented economic reforms, youth development and ensuring freedom of speech and media.

According to him, thanks to Uzbekistan’s consistent international engagement, the country has become a "regional cooperation hub," which has contributed to increased foreign investment. Behind these results, he said, stands the years-long governance experience of President Mirziyoyev, his deep understanding of the country’s needs and his ability to envisage its development prospects.

The Dean of Bahria University’s Faculty, Professor Adam Saud, noted that to talk about Central Asia, and especially about Uzbekistan, is a great responsibility.

"Every time I visit Uzbekistan I see new impressive changes. Back in 2017 I wrote a forecast about the prospects of reform — today about 85% of those forecasts have already been realised," he underlined.

Kazakh Ambassador Erzhan Kistafin praised the transformation of Central Asia into a zone of peace and prosperity as a priority of President Mirziyoyev’s foreign policy.

"Thanks to the diplomatic efforts of the Uzbek leader many former contradictions have been resolved, and the region has entered a new era of trust and integration. The reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan ensure steady economic growth and strengthen its international authority," said the Kazakh diplomat.

Turkish Ambassador Irfan Naziroglu stressed that Uzbekistan occupies an important place in the Turkic world, and that President Mirziyoyev’s participation in summits of the Organization of Turkic States gives a powerful boost to its activities.

He reminded that the Uzbek leader was awarded the highest decoration – the "Order of the Turkic World" – for his outstanding contribution to strengthening the unity of Turkic peoples and promoting shared interests on the international stage.

"The initiatives of President Mirziyoyev in transport, energy, innovation, youth and humanitarian policy confirm that Uzbekistan has become the intellectual 'driver’ of integration in the Turkic space. And today’s presentation of the book in Pakistan is a vivid testament to the significance of the Uzbek leader’s efforts to bolster ties between Central and South Asia," emphasized the Turkish Ambassador.