Tashkent/New Delhi, 29 August (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent on Saturday for a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, beginning the Uzbekistan leg of his four-day visit to Central Asia.

PM Modi received a formal welcome upon his arrival in the Uzbek capital as he began his state visit, which is aimed at further strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Uzbekistan. The visit is taking place on August 29 and 30.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with President Mirziyoyev during his stay in Tashkent. The two leaders are expected to review bilateral cooperation and discuss ways to further expand the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Ahead of his departure,PM Modi said that India-Uzbekistan relations had made significant progress in recent years. He said he looked forward to discussions with President Mirziyoyev on further strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy, while advancing the shared developmental visions of Viksit Bharat and Uzbekistan-2030.

During his visit, PM Modi is also scheduled to visit the Shastri Memorial in Tashkent and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. These engagements are aimed at highlighting the longstanding historical, cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Uzbekistan.

This is Modi’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan. His previous visits included the 2015 visit and trips to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summits in 2016 and 2022.

The Tashkent visit is the first leg of Modi’s two-nation Central Asian tour. He will subsequently travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit from August 31 to September 1.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar