Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commenced a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan, arriving at Tashkent International Airport where he was received by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev with a ceremonial welcome ceremony.
Ceremonial Arrival in Tashkent
As reported by Moneycontrol, the arrival ceremony featured a guard of honour, renditions of the Indian and Uzbek national anthems, and warm bilateral greetings before both leaders proceeded to the presidential palace for restricted and delegation-level talks.
Key Agenda Items for Bilateral Talks
The diplomatic consultations between India and Uzbekistan center on strategic and economic priorities:
- Trade and Commercial Expansion: Exploring measures to diversify bilateral trade volumes beyond traditional agricultural and pharmaceutical goods.
- Defence Cooperation: Enhancing joint counter-terrorism training, military educational exchanges, and defense manufacturing collaboration.
- Energy Partnerships: Evaluating joint development opportunities across solar energy installations, green hydrogen, and natural gas infrastructure.
- Digital Connectivity: Advancing negotiations on a proposed India-Uzbekistan digital corridor to integrate digital payment systems and information technology networks.
The bilateral engagement also serves as key diplomatic groundwork ahead of Prime Minister Modi's participation in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
