India and Uzbekistan review strategic partnership, discuss regional challenges

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov on Monday undertook a detailed review of bilateral strategic partnership during the latter’s ongoing three-day visit to New Delhi.

“Great to meet my friend, Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov of Uzbekistan. Undertook a detailed review of our Strategic Partnership, with particular focus on energy, infrastructure, trade, defence, education and culture. We also discussed key regional challenges and exchanged views on expanding our multilateral cooperation,” EAM Jaishankar wrote on X after the meeting.

While making his opening remarks at the meeting, EAM Jaishankar appreciated the steady momentum in India-Uzbekistan ties.

“We in India consider Uzbekistan to be part of our extended neighbourhood, and there is always a continuous exchange of people, ideas, and goods in both directions. We share very long and deep historical and cultural linkages,” EAM Jaishankar stated.

According to him, bilateral relations between India and Uzbekistan have expanded over the years, and now they really span a very diverse range of domains — from construction and digital to energy, health, and education. The EAM also expressed interest in expanding into mining and noted that the trade between the two countries is close to a billion dollars, a number which “should go up”.

Earlier in the day, the Uzbek minister called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

During the meeting, the two leaders agreed that the visit offers an opportunity to identify new areas of bilateral cooperation and deepen partnership across various sectors.

“Mr Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President said that both countries share deep historical, cultural, and civilisational ties, rooted in ancient trade routes. The two leaders agreed that this visit provides an opportunity to identify new areas of bilateral cooperation and deepen our mutually beneficial partnership across diverse sectors,” the President’s Secretariat posted on X.

–IANS

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