Joint Statement during the State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Uzbekistan

Prime Minister's Office Joint Statement during the State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Uzbekistan

Posted On: 30 AUG 2026 5:56PM by PIB Delhi At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, His Excellency Mr. Narendra Modi, paid a State Visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan from 29 to 30 August 2026.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks in a warm, friendly and constructive atmosphere. The Leaders conducted a comprehensive review of the current state and future prospects of the Uzbekistan-India bilateral relations, exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, and identified priority areas for further practical cooperation.

The Leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong level of collaboration between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of India. They noted that the relationship is firmly anchored in longstanding bonds of friendship, as well as deep historical and cultural affinities between the two nations. Reaffirming their shared resolve, the Leaders underscored their commitment to further deepening bilateral ties and elevating cooperation to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that advances the core interests of both nations.

The Leaders welcomed the close alignment of their positions and the growing importance of Central Asia.

Amid a complex geopolitical situation, they stressed the need for a free, open and rules-based international

order. Building on their multilateral cooperation, Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and bilateral agreements, they reaffirmed their commitment to long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation for both peoples and future generations, agreeing to deepen political dialogue and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across trade, economy and investment, transport connectivity, digital transformation (IT, AI, space, cybersecurity), energy transition, critical minerals, food security, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and education.

Political, Parliamentary and Security Cooperation The Leaders underscored the importance of maintaining regular and trust-based dialogue at leadership and institutional levels and agreed to continue the exchange of visits and contacts in both the bilateral format and on the margins of international events.

The Leaders agreed to establish Foreign Ministers led mechanism to provide high level coordination and oversight of the implementation of the agreements and arrangements reached between the two countries, as well as to facilitate the timely realisation of priority bilateral initiatives and projects.

The Leaders acknowledged the growing role of parliamentary diplomacy and welcomed the intensification of contacts between the chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Parliament of the Republic of India, including cooperation between parliamentary friendship groups and interaction within international inter-parliamentary organizations.The Leaders underscored the importance of further strengthening the legal framework of bilateral cooperation across various fields. They emphasized the need for a comprehensive review of the existing bilateral legal instruments to ensure that they fully reflect the current priorities of bilateral engagement and agreed to work jointly on modernizing the treaty framework in line with present-day realities.

The Leaders unequivocally condemned terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, reiterated zero tolerance approach to terrorism and rejected justification of terrorism on any ground whatsoever. Leaders called for concerted actions against terrorist entities and for disrupting terrorism financing networks, safe havens and infrastructure. Leaders stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable and their perpetrators, their backers, facilitators and affiliates should be brought to justice. The Leaders stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in law enforcement, intelligence-sharing, and combating violent extremism, and illicit drug trafficking, organized crime, and cyber threats. The Leaders reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation under the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism.

The Leaders appreciated the growing cooperation and close coordination between the defence and security agencies of Uzbekistan and India, including through regular exchanges, institutional mechanisms, capacity-building and joint activities, and expressed their commitment to further strengthen such cooperation in addressing shared security challenges. The Leaders expressed satisfaction with the activities of the Joint Working Group on Military Cooperation, wherein new avenues of cooperation in the defence industrial domain are being explored. They welcomed the successful conduct of Uzbekistan – India Joint Military Exercise “Dustlik”, the latest of which was held in Namangan Region, Uzbekistan, in April 2026.

The Leaders highly appreciated the progress achieved in regional cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening engagement within Central Asia – India format at the level of Heads of States and other levels. The Leaders also underscored the importance of continuing regular consultations on regional issues.

Trade, Economic and Investment Cooperation The Leaders welcomed the strong economic partnership between Uzbekistan and India and noted the considerable untapped potential for further expanding bilateral trade and investment.

The Leaders agreed on the importance of enhancing and diversifying bilateral trade by identifying and harnessing new opportunities. They underscored that the rapidly growing number of Indian companies operating in Uzbekistan reflect the significant potential for further expanding economic cooperation.

Both sides agreed to undertake joint measures to broaden the range of goods traded between the two countries, remove non tariff barriers, and promote industrial cooperation with a view to further increasing bilateral trade turnover. They decided to create a Joint Working Group to address non tariff issues and investment barriers, with a particular focus on key sectors of bilateral trade.

Both sides expressed their interest in strengthening cooperation in the fields of e-commerce, the digitalization of trade procedures, and the introduction of digital platforms to support small and medium- sized enterprises and facilitate bilateral trade.

The Uzbek side appreciated the support of the Indian side on accession of the Republic of Uzbekistan at WTO. Both sides agreed to work together to preserve and protect the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, especially for the interests of the developing countries.

Both sides agreed to support efforts aimed at strengthening manufacturing and export capacities, to promote dialogue among regulators and explore mutual recognition arrangements to facilitate faster and greater market access in each others’ markets.The Leaders highly appreciated the outcomes of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and the Uzbekistan – India Business Forums, held in June 2026 on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum and in August 2026 in New Delhi, noting their significant contribution to the further expansion of trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.

The Leaders agreed to promote collaboration between the Uzbek and the Indian companies, leverage the complementarities between the two economies and strengthen connectivity between their value-added supply chains..

Both sides acknowledged the great potential of bilateral trade in Electrical items, Engineering products, Automobiles and Pharma sectors and agreed to closer business-to-business tie up in these sectors.

The Leaders agreed to identify and promote mutually beneficial investment opportunities and establish an institutional mechanism to address investors' concerns and facilitate ease of doing business.

Both sides agreed to explore enhanced cooperation between the Investment Promotion Agency of Uzbekistan and Invest India to identify and promote mutually beneficial investment opportunities, including through joint business forums, roadshows, investment seminars and stakeholder’s interaction, with a view to facilitating greater two way investment flows and strengthening business-to-business linkages.

The two Leaders expressed satisfaction at the steady growth of bilateral trade and reaffirmed their resolve to further expand and diversify trade, with the aim of building a stronger trade relationship. Recalling the conclusion of the Joint Feasibility Study on Uzbekistan-India Preferential Trade Agreement, the Leaders directed the relevant Ministries to explore the next steps on a time bound basis.

Energy, Natural Resources and Supply Chains The Leaders welcomed the discussions on advancing cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, modernization of energy infrastructure, and the implementation of prospective investment projects.

The Leaders agreed to explore for cooperation in the fields of geology, mining, nuclear energy, industrial cooperation, and critical & strategic minerals, including projects for the processing of mineral resources, production of value- added products and recycling initiatives. They also expressed interest in encouraging Indian companies to participate in the development of prospective mineral deposits in Uzbekistan and Uzbek enterprises for joint collaboration in India. The Leaders expressed interest in extended cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The Leaders agreed to expand cooperation in the field of critical minerals through the implementation of joint projects in geological exploration, mining, mineral processing, and the development of integrated value chains.

Agriculture The Leaders agreed to cooperate in the development of agricultural value chains, strengthening export capabilities, and enhancing the technical capacity of agriculture and livestock sectors.

The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in agriculture and food security, with a particular focus on innovation and resource-efficient technologies. They also agreed to continue exchanges in the field of agricultural science and to make effective use of multilateral and regional platforms to promote the development of modern and sustainable agriculture across the region. The Leaders agreed to facilitate bilateral trade in agricultural products.The Leaders supported the expansion of cooperation between research institutions and enterprises in enhancing agricultural productivity, as well as in the conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources.

Transport, Logistics and Connectivity The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing joint efforts to enhance transport and logistics connectivity between Uzbekistan and India through the development of multimodal transport routes and logistics corridors, creating favourable conditions for the seamless movement of goods.

The Leaders reaffirmed their intention to continue cooperation aimed at restoring freight transportation in

order to reduce transportation costs.

The Leaders expressed their intention to expand cooperation between the relevant authorities through the exchange of expertise in road construction using advanced technologies and to explore opportunities for implementing joint projects on the reconstruction and modernization of road infrastructure.

The Leaders recognized the importance of developing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient solutions for Uzbekistan’s public transport sector and agreed to explore opportunities for implementing joint projects in this field.

Digital Technologies, Innovation and Space Cooperation The Leaders welcomed the successful operation of the first IT Park in Tashkent, established in 2019 based on the Indian model with the active support of the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), and agreed to further expand partnerships among technology parks, companies, startups, and educational institutions of the two countries.

The Leaders welcomed the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the fields of high technologies and digital transformation, as well as the implementation of the understandings reached in February 2026 on the margins of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

The Leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in the development and advancement of safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) systems, including through the exchange of experience and best practices, with a view to harnessing AI’s potential to promote sustainable economic growth, innovation- driven development, and the effective resolution of societal challenges.

The Leaders reaffirmed their interest in further expanding practical cooperation in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space, including in space applications, the exchange of scientific data, and capacity- building through joint workshops and training.

Education, Human Resource Development, Healthcare, Culture, Sports and Tourism The Leaders recognised the valuable contribution of Indian students to strengthening the longstanding people-to-people ties between Uzbekistan and India.

The Leaders welcomed the continued expansion of India studies in Uzbekistan and supported the expansion of Uzbek studies in India.

The Leaders shared the view of strengthening cooperation in human resource development, which serves as an important bridge between Uzbekistan and India, including through the implementation of joint research programmes and academic cooperation initiatives.

The Leaders appreciated the longstanding and mutually beneficial partnership in capacity building and human resource development, particularly in the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, nanotechnology and biotechnology. Over the years, more than 2,700 Uzbek nationals have participated in the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, while more than 400 Uzbek studentshave been selected under ICCR scholarships, including scholarships under AYUSH. In this context, Uzbek side welcomed the announcement of Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Hindi Language in Uzbekistan.

The Leaders reaffirmed their readiness to further promote cooperation in human resource development under the ITEC Programme.

Uzbekistan and India share the aspiration of leaving a greener and healthier planet for future generations, as reflected in Uzbekistan’s “Yashil Makon” and India’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiatives. Building on this shared commitment, India and Uzbekistan will cooperate in the greening and ecological rehabilitation of the Aral Sea region. These rehabilitation efforts of US $1 million, including the provision of necessary technical support, will be undertaken under India’s Grant-in-Aid framework.

The Leaders agreed to expand cooperation in strengthening public health systems, including in the fields of biomedical research and medical innovation, by leveraging each other’s strengths to develop new treatments and therapies through advanced scientific research.

The Leaders highly appreciated the growing cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector and underscored the significant potential of the Tashkent Pharma Park Innovative Scientific and Industrial Pharmaceutical Cluster as an effective platform for implementing joint projects, attracting investment in modern pharmaceutical manufacturing, localizing production, facilitating technology transfer, and developing a highly skilled workforce. The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to promoting closer cooperation between the relevant institutions and pharmaceutical companies of the two countries.

The Leaders expressed their support for the establishment in Uzbekistan, in cooperation with Indian companies, of new medical centres and laboratories, as well as research institutions and joint pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises.

Recognizing the centuries-old historical ties, shared cultural and civilizational heritage, and longstanding traditions of mutual respect between the peoples of Uzbekistan and India, the Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further expanding cultural and humanitarian cooperation through the organization of cultural days, festivals, exhibitions, tours by artistic ensembles, and by strengthening direct links between the cultural institutions of the two countries. Both Leaders welcomed the signing of the Cultural Exchange Program from 2026-2030 and the Uzbekistan-India cooperation in the Field of Archives.

The Leaders underscored the importance of cooperation in the preservation, study, restoration and promotion of World Heritage sites and expressed their interest in expanding collaboration among relevant research institutions, museums and restoration centres, including in the digitalization of cultural heritage sites, the creation of three-dimensional (3D) models of archaeological artefacts, and the application of advanced technologies for their conservation. In this regard, both Leaders appreciated the Letter of Intent signed on the conservation and restoration of ancient Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Karatepa.

The Leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of sports, including through the exchange of experience in athlete preparation and coach training in such disciplines as badminton, archery and chess.

The Leaders noted with satisfaction the role of yoga in promoting healthy lifestyles and strengthening people-to-people ties, and emphasised the significance of the International Day of Yoga on 21 June. The Leaders welcomed cooperation between the Yoga Federation of Uzbekistan and India's Ministry of AYUSH on instructor training and also Uzbekistan's participation in international Yogasana competitions.

The Leaders reaffirmed their readiness to continue supporting the promotion and development of yoga in Uzbekistan with the participation of leading Indian experts. The Leaders also welcomed the conclusion of the MoU for cooperation in traditional medicines.

International CooperationBoth Leaders reaffirmed that the United Nations must play a central role in maintaining global peace and security. They agreed to strengthen their cooperation, including through mutual support, in the United Nations and other international and regional organizations.

Both Leaders called for comprehensive reform of the UN, including Security Council, to reflect contemporary global realities and to make it more representative, effective and efficient in dealing with issues of international peace and security. Uzbekistan reaffirmed its support to India’s candidature for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening coordination in international fora with a view to advancing the common interests of the countries of the Global South.

The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), recognizing it as an important platform for enhancing mutual trust, promoting regional peace, security and stability, and expanding cooperation in trade and economic affairs, investment, and cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India’s Chairship of BRICS in 2026 and wished him every success in hosting the BRICS Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence in Uzbekistan’s successful Chairship of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) for the period 2027-2030 and reaffirmed India’s readiness to continue supporting the Movement as its founding member.

Both Leaders noted the important role of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA), as platforms for advancing global cooperation in their respective fields. The Indian side welcomed Uzbek side’s interest in joining these frameworks and conveyed its readiness to actively pursue the necessary consultations and processes towards their accession.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sincere gratitude to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as to the Government and the people of Uzbekistan, for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to him during the visit.

Prime Minister of India invited the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to pay a return visit to India.

The dates will be decided through diplomatic channels. **** MJPS/SS/VJ (Release ID: 2304718) Visitor Counter : 645

Read this release in: Urdu , Marathi , ही , Gujarati , Tamil