SYLLABUS

GS-2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Context: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Uzbekistan, at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, marked an important step in strengthening India’s engagement with Central Asia. 

More on the News

• The visit resulted in 11 agreements covering critical minerals, uranium, trade, defence, digital payments, education, culture and heritage conservation. 

• Both sides set a US$5 billion trade target and agreed to strengthen long-term energy cooperation. 

• President Shavkat Mirziyoyev conferred Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the “Order of Oliy Darajali Do’stlik,” on PM Narendra Modi for his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations. 

Major Outcomes of the Visit

• Political and Institutional Cooperation: India and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral ties and elevate cooperation towards a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

• A Foreign Ministers-led mechanism was agreed upon to coordinate and oversee the implementation of bilateral agreements and priority projects.

• Defence and Security Cooperation: Both countries reaffirmed their zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. They agreed to strengthen cooperation against:

• Terror financing and terrorist infrastructure;Organised crime and illicit drug trafficking
• Violent extremism;Cyber threats.

• Trade, Economic and Investment Cooperation: India and Uzbekistan recognised the untapped potential of bilateral trade and investment and agreed to diversify economic relations. Key areas included:

• Addressing non-tariff barriers through a Joint Working Group.
• Promoting e-commerce and digitalisation of trade procedures.
• Strengthening manufacturing and export capabilities.
• Facilitating greater two-way investment.
• Exploring next steps towards a Preferential Trade Agreement.
• Promoting cooperation in electrical goods, engineering products, automobiles and pharmaceuticals.

• Energy, Natural Resources and Critical Minerals: Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in renewable energy, energy infrastructure, geology, mining and critical minerals.

• Agriculture and Food Security: India and Uzbekistan agreed to strengthen cooperation in agricultural value chains, food security and export capabilities.

• Transport, Logistics and Connectivity: The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to improving multimodal transport and logistics connectivity.

• Digital Technology, AI and Space Cooperation: Digital transformation emerged as a major pillar of bilateral cooperation.

• Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Human Resource Development: Both countries agreed to deepen cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, nanotechnology and medical research.