Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Saturday for a two-day official visit. He was received at the airport by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who welcomed him warmly. The two leaders are scheduled to hold delegation-level talks aimed at further strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Uzbekistan.
This is Prime Minister Modi’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan. Following his arrival, he posted on X that he was grateful to President Mirziyoyev for the warm welcome and described his visit as a reflection of the depth and growing momentum of bilateral relations between the two countries.
Soon after arriving in Tashkent, Modi visited Yangi Uzbekistan Park and paid tribute at the Independence Monument by laying a wreath. President Mirziyoyev accompanied him to the monument, which was established to mark the 30th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence and represents the country’s ideals of freedom and national progress.
Uzbekistan is the first leg of Modi’s two-nation visit, which will also take him to the Kyrgyz Republic. The visit is aimed at strengthening India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia and deepening the longstanding civilisational and cultural ties between India and the region.
During his stay in Uzbekistan, Modi will hold discussions with President Mirziyoyev on cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy. He is also expected to discuss ways to advance the shared development visions of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Yangi Uzbekistan’.
As part of his visit, Modi will also visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. These visits are expected to highlight the close cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Uzbekistan.
Following his Uzbekistan visit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Bishkek to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov.
(With inputs from PTI)