Strengthening India-Uzbekistan Relations: Jaishankar Reviews Strategic Partnership

New Delhi, August 3: India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyar Saidov held a meeting in New Delhi on Monday to review the strategic partnership between the two nations. Saidov is currently on a three-day visit to India.

Following the meeting, Jaishankar expressed his pleasure at meeting his counterpart on the social media platform ‘X’. He stated, “It was great to meet my friend, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyar Saidov. We thoroughly reviewed our strategic partnership, focusing on energy, infrastructure, trade, defense, education, and culture. We also discussed regional challenges and exchanged ideas on enhancing multilateral cooperation.”

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar praised the sustained positive momentum in India-Uzbekistan relations. He noted, “We consider Uzbekistan a part of our extended neighborhood. There has always been an exchange of people, ideas, and goods between our two countries. We share deep historical and cultural ties.”

According to Jaishankar, the relationship between India and Uzbekistan has strengthened significantly over the past few years, expanding into various sectors, including construction, digital technology, energy, health, and education. He expressed India’s interest in enhancing cooperation in the mining sector. He also mentioned that trade between the two nations has nearly reached $1 billion, with substantial potential for further growth.

Earlier in the day, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister met with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. During their meeting, both leaders agreed that this visit presents a great opportunity to identify new areas for bilateral cooperation and to strengthen partnerships across various sectors.

The President’s secretariat posted on ‘X’, stating, “Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyar Saidov met with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President noted the deep historical, cultural, and civilizational ties between the two countries, rooted in ancient trade routes. Both leaders agreed that this visit provides an opportunity to identify new areas for bilateral cooperation and to further strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships in various sectors.”

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