PM Modi arrives in Uzbekistan for two-day state visit, heads to SCO summit in Bishkek

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Uzbekistan on Saturday for a two-day state visit, the first leg of his two-nation tour of Central Asia. He was received by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the airport. PM Modi, who is visiting Uzbekistan for the fourth time, will hold delegation-level talks with Mirziyoyev in Tashkent to review and expand the India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership. The discussions are expected to focus on trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence, energy, education and people-to-people ties. The two leaders will also set the agenda for future bilateral engagement. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. He said the visit would help deepen the “close cultural and people-to-people ties” between India and Uzbekistan.

PM Modi in Bishkek for SCO summit

After his Uzbekistan visit, PM Modi will travel to Bishkek to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on August 31 and September 1, at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. The summit coincides with the SCO's 25th anniversary and will bring together leaders of its 10 member states — India, China, Russia, Iran, Belarus and other Central Asian countries. PM Modi is expected to meet Zhaparov and other SCO leaders during the summit. He will also attend the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games. India has been a full and active member of the SCO since 2017. “I look forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which continue to threaten peace and stability in our neighbourhood and beyond,” PM Modi said.

Putin, Xi among leaders expected at summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the leaders expected to attend the two-day SCO summit in Bishkek. The summit will bring together leaders of the 10-member grouping, which includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries and Belarus.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are also expected to participate in the plenary session. The SCO, which was founded with a focus on regional and economic cooperation, now has 15 dialogue partners and two observer countries, Afghanistan and Mongolia. PM Modi said he was confident that his visit would “strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen our civilisational connect with the region, and advance our shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity.” From Tashkent, the prime minister will travel to Bishkek to participate in the 26th SCO Summit, at the invitation of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Zhaparov.