India and Uzbekistan declare comprehensive strategic partnership
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — India and Uzbekistan have agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, marking the 15th anniversary of the establishment of their strategic partnership, the Indian prime minister said in a joint statement with the President of Uzbekistan following talks in Tashkent.
According to the prime minister, the two sides have established an ambitious agenda aimed at accelerating progress and achieving concrete results under the new partnership framework. He said this was his fourth visit to Uzbekistan and that he had met the Uzbek president more than 10 times during nearly 10 years of joint work.
India and Uzbekistan have set a target of increasing bilateral trade, which has already exceeded US$1 billion, to US$5 billion by 2030. To achieve this goal, the sides intend to work systematically on market access, transport connectivity, banking cooperation and payment infrastructure.
The sides agreed to expand cooperation in infrastructure development, as well as digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, clean energy, space and nuclear energy. Particular attention was given to agriculture and healthcare. The sides intend to combine Uzbekistan’s horticultural expertise with modern agricultural practices in India to strengthen food security, while also developing cooperation in traditional medicine based on Uzbek medicinal plants and Indian expertise in Ayurveda. A relevant agreement on traditional medicine was signed during the visit.
The prime minister said the countries intend to establish partnerships between cities and regions of the two states to expand direct contacts in urban governance, industry, education, tourism and culture. He also highlighted close cooperation in defense and security and said the sides planned to promote direct links between defense enterprises, as well as expand joint production and development. According to him, the countries maintain zero tolerance toward terrorism, extremism and separatism, considering them serious threats to the region.
The sides also agreed on a cooperation programme aimed at increasing tourist flows between the countries and on efforts to preserve Buddhist heritage sites in Uzbekistan. India announced scholarships to promote the study of the Hindi language in Uzbekistan.
Speaking about sports cooperation, the prime minister recalled that Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Sindorov, 20, won the FIDE World Cup in Goa last year and is due to meet Indian world chess champion D. Gukesh, also 20, in November. He also wished success to participants in the Chess Olympiad, which will be held in Samarkand next month, and said the traditional sports of kurash and kabaddi would give new momentum to the sporting partnership between the two countries.
At the end of his remarks, the Indian prime minister congratulated the people of Uzbekistan on the upcoming 35th anniversary of the country’s independence on behalf of India’s 1.4 billion citizens.
