Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s four-day Central Asia visit kicked off in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on August 29.
The bilateral leg, running through August 30, includes delegation-level talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev focused on deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The agenda covers trade, investment, defence, digital connectivity, healthcare, energy and education, with critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and space cooperation also expected to feature.
PM Modi will next travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from August 31 to September 1 for the 26th SCO Summit, which marks the organisation’s 25th anniversary.
India’s priorities at the summit are expected to be security, connectivity and economic opportunity, with the gathering also set to draw Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The visit will include delegation-level talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, covering trade, investment, defence, digital connectivity, healthcare, energy, education and technology cooperation.
Officials expect discussions to also touch on critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and space cooperation, areas both countries have flagged as priorities for expanding the relationship.
PM Modi is scheduled to visit the Lal Bahadur Shastri memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University as part of the cultural component of the trip.
India and Uzbekistan elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership in 2011, with bilateral trade and investment between the two countries now close to $1 billion.
From Tashkent, the Prime Minister will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, marking the bloc’s 25th anniversary.
India’s priority themes at the SCO Summit are expected to centre on security, connectivity and economic opportunity, with counter-terrorism and regional cooperation also on the agenda.
The Bishkek leg is expected to draw a wide roster of leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside representatives from other SCO member states.
PM Modi is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Games while in Kyrgyzstan, adding a cultural dimension to the multilateral leg of the trip.
Official portrait of PM Narendra Modi, Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
