India-Central Asian relations take center stage as PM Modi begins visit to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan | Today’s news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on his two-country visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on Saturday and expressed confidence that the diplomatic engagement will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia.
At the start of the itinerary, the Prime Minister will first travel to Tashkent for a two-day bilateral visit at the invitation of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
In his departure statement, Prime Minister Modi outlined expectations for the bilateral engagement: “In recent years, the India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership has seen significant progress. I look forward to my discussions with President Mirziyoyev on further deepening our cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence, energy and advancing our shared visions of Viksit Bharat and Yangi Uzbekistan.”
As part of the program in the Uzbek capital, the Prime Minister noted that he will also visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Center at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, which he described as a “tribute to the close cultural and interpersonal ties” connecting the two countries.
This is Prime Minister Modi’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan after previous diplomatic engagements in 2015 along with subsequent visits in 2016 and 2022 to attend SCO summits. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Delhi and Tashkent has steadily expanded over the years, highlighted by President Mirziyoyev’s state visit to India in 2018 and his participation in the Gujarat Global Summit in 2019.
After the bilateral leg in Tashkent, PM Modi will travel to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to attend the 26th SCO summit, which marks the quarter century of the organization.
Highlighting regional priorities, Prime Minister Modi said in his exit statement: “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 working with other members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and threats from outside our neighborhood and extremism.”
The Prime Minister further added, “I also look forward to meeting President Japarov and other SCO leaders and participating in the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games, a celebration of the rich living heritage of Central Asia, which India holds in deep esteem.”
PM Modi added: “I am confident that this visit will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen our civilizational ties with the region and strengthen our common pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity, values that are at the core of India’s engagement with the world.”
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has ten member states with a total area of about 36 million kilometers and a population of over 3.4 billion. It accounts for about 25 percent of global GDP, about 25 percent and more than 15 percent of international trade.
In 2017, full membership of the organization was granted to India.
