Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 10 March, the Institute of Strategic and interregional studies (ISMI) hosted a meeting with the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat.

At the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and India, discussed issues of strengthening trans-regional cooperation between Central and South Asia, as well as the efforts of the two countries to establish long-term peace in Afghanistan.

Welcoming the guest, Director of ISMI Eldor Aripov noted that over the past four years, relations between Tashkent and New Delhi, based on the principles of mutual trust and consideration of interests, have been developing along an ascending trajectory.

India is traditionally viewed by Uzbekistan as a close, strategic partner, cooperation with which is becoming multifaceted and long-term.

A powerful impetus to this was largely given by the high intensity of political contacts at the highest level, including the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to India in 2018 and his participation in the Dynamic Gujarat conference in 2019.

At the same time, the online summit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, held in December 2020, became another significant event that sets the tone in the modern paradigm of Uzbek-Indian relations.

Special emphasis was also placed on the issues of strengthening trans-regional cooperation. New opportunities were noted that are opening up thanks to the modern regional policy of Tashkent, which favors the active interaction of New Delhi with the Central Asian capitals.

Confirmation of this, according to Manish Prabhat, is the successful dialogue in the "Central Asia - India" format initiated by the Uzbek side and turned into a unique platform for practical interaction.

Another important step in this direction, as noted by the participants, was the proposal of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to hold in July 2021 an international conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities”.

This high-level event can identify important areas of cooperation between Central and South Asia and give impetus to building a sustainable model of trans-regional connectivity.

At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue dialogue and exchange of views on a regular basis on a wide range of issues on the bilateral and regional agenda.