Modi Begins Central Asia Tour In Tashkent, Eyes Trade And Defence Ties
· World · Indian Express, News18
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Tashkent on Saturday for a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan, his fourth trip to the country, before heading to Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit on August 31-September 1. He was received at the airport by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with the two leaders pledging to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, critical minerals, healthcare, education, space, technology, defence, energy, and culture under a 'shared vision' for Viksit Bharat and Yangi Uzbekistan. Modi visited the Yangi Uzbekistan Monument, laid a wreath, and is scheduled to tour the Shastri Memorial and Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said discussions would also cover business-to-business engagement and people-to-people exchanges. The last Modi-Mirziyoyev meeting was on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin in September 2025.
Why it matters
India is deepening its strategic and energy footprint in Central Asia at a time of growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region, with critical minerals, defence cooperation, and connectivity projects all on the table for New Delhi and Tashkent.
Read the original report — Indian Express
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.