Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister calls on Prez Murmu, discusses ways to deepen bilateral cooperation
New Delhi, Aug 3
Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday.
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.
Earlier in the day, Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich arrived in New Delhi for an official visit to further strengthen bilateral relations between India and Uzbekistan.
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "A very warm welcome to Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov of Uzbekistan on his arrival in New Delhi for an official visit."
During his visit, Saidov Bakhtiyor is scheduled to hold discussions with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
He will also participate in a business forum in New Delhi, highlighting opportunities for expanding economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries.
The visit comes at a time when India and Uzbekistan are seeking to deepen their strategic partnership across multiple sectors, including trade, investment, technology, energy, education, and connectivity.
Ahead of the visit, EAM Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich on July 20 and discussed deepening bilateral ties.
"A good conversation with Bakhtiyor Saidov of Uzbekistan today. We spoke about deepening our bilateral ties, including in trade, investment and other areas," EAM Jaishankar wrote on X.
Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich noted that he had a substantive phone conversation with EAM Jaishankar and agreed to continue regular dialogue.
He said bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and India, based on a strategic partnership, continue to develop steadily across all areas of cooperation.
He added that both sides also exchanged views on the schedule of upcoming bilateral engagements at the highest and high levels, as well as on further strengthening cooperation within international organisations.
Uzbekistan Foreign Minister emphasised that the two countries agreed to continue close, trust-based, and regular dialogue between their foreign ministries.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Deepening ties with Uzbekistan is excellent, but we need to see concrete outcomes. I hope the business forum results in actual trade agreements. The government talks a lot, but our small and medium enterprises need clear benefits.
India and Uzbekistan share centuries of history through the Silk Route. It's smart diplomacy to revive those connections now. India's Chabahar port can really help unlock trade with Central Asia. 🇮🇳🤝🇺🇿
The government's focus on Central Asia is welcome. Uzbekistan's stability matters for the region. Education and technology cooperation could really benefit our youth, especially in IT and space sectors.
Another high-level visit, but trade figures between India and Uzbekistan remain modest. I hope they actually address logistics and connectivity issues rather than just holding meetings. Actions speak louder than photo ops.
Nice to see President Murmu engaging on foreign policy. For years women leaders have been underutilized in diplomacy. This shows India's soft power is expanding in Central Asia. Looking forward to stronger partnership!
This is a well-timed visit. With great power rivalry in Central Asia, India must engage more actively. Both countries can benefit on counter-terrorism, energy security and trade. The shared civilisational
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