TASHKENT — Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a two-day State Visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan (August 29–30), holding high-level bilateral talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The two leaders agreed to elevate Uzbekistan-India ties into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, expanding bilateral engagement across trade, defence, digital infrastructure, critical minerals, and green energy.
Key Highlights of the Joint Statement
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Institutional & High-Level Mechanisms: The leaders established a Foreign Ministers-led mechanism to oversee the execution of bilateral agreements and agreed to initiate time-bound negotiations toward an Uzbekistan-India Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
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Security & Defence Cooperation: Strongly condemning cross-border terrorism and terror financing, both nations reaffirmed commitment through the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and noted the successful execution of the joint military exercise “Dustlik” in the Namangan region in April 2026.
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Energy, Mining & Critical Minerals: Both sides agreed to explore joint ventures in critical and strategic minerals processing, nuclear energy, and geological exploration, encouraging Indian firms to develop mineral deposits in Uzbekistan.
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Digital Transformation & Space: Building on the success of Tashkent’s IT Park (established via STPI support), the two nations expanded alignment on safe Artificial Intelligence frameworks following the February 2026 India AI Impact Summit, alongside capacity-building in peaceful space exploration.
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Environmental & Heritage Grants: India announced a $1 million Grant-in-Aid package for the ecological rehabilitation of the Aral Sea region. Additionally, a Letter of Intent was signed for the conservation and restoration of ancient Buddhist sites at Fayaz Tepa and Karatepa.
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Multilateral & Global Support: President Mirziyoyev reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s support for India’s permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and welcomed India’s 2026 Chairship of BRICS, while India pledged support for Uzbekistan’s upcoming Chairship of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) from 2027 to 2030.
