Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Uzbekistan on 29–30 August 2026 at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, marking an important step in strengthening bilateral ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest award for foreign leaders, the “Oliy Darajali Do’stlik” Order, underscoring the importance both sides attach to their growing relationship.
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 two sides also set an ambitious target of taking bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2030, significantly higher than the current level of around $1.32 billion.
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.
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. They 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 realization 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 also 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. 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 further 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 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 cooperate in the development of agricultural value chains, strengthening export capabilities, and enhancing the technical capacity of agriculture and livestock sectors. They 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.
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. They 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.
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.