Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday embarked on a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, saying the tour will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia and deepen its civilisational ties with the region.
PM Modi will first visit Tashkent for two days at the invitation of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
“In recent years, India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership has seen significant advancement. I look forward to my discussions with President Mirziyoyev on further deepening our cooperation in trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence, energy, and on advancing our shared visions of Viksit Bharat and Yangi Uzbekistan,” PM Modi said in his departure statement.
During his stay in Tashkent, the Prime Minister will also visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. He described the engagements as “a tribute to the close cultural and people-to-people ties” between the two countries.
This will be PM Modi’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan. He had earlier visited the country in 2015 and travelled to Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries in 2016 and 2022 for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summits.
India and Uzbekistan have maintained extensive engagement in bilateral and multilateral forums. Mirziyoyev paid a State Visit to India in 2018 and participated in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in 2019.
From Tashkent, PM Modi will travel to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov to attend the 26th SCO Summit, which marks 25 years of the organisation.
“India has been an active and constructive member of the SCO since 2017. I look forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which continue to threaten peace and stability in our neighbourhood and beyond,” PM Modi said.
He said he also looked forward to meeting Zhaparov and other SCO leaders and attending the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games, describing it as a celebration of Central Asia’s “rich living heritage” that India holds in deep respect.
“I am confident that this visit will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen our civilisational connect with the region, and advance our shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity, values that lie at the heart of India’s engagement with the world,” PM Modi added.
(IANS Inputs)
