PM Modi in Tashkent: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent on a state visit to Uzbekistan on 29 August where he was was warmly received by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the airport.
Before emplaning, the prime minister expressed confidence that the diplomatic engagement will reinforce India's strategic partnerships across Central Asia.
PM Modi is in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 29–30 August. This is Prime Minister’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan. Therafter, the prime minister will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to participate in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on 31 August – 1 September 2026, as per the official itinerary.
“Over the next few days, I will be in Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. The programmes include: Bilateral talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent to improve the India-Uzbekistan friendship. Visit to the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. Multilateral and bilateral meetings at the SCO Summit in Bishkek,” PM Modi said in his departure statement.
India and Uzbekistan have relations that go back to ancient history. India was one of the first countries to recognize the state sovereignty of Uzbekistan after the latterʼs independence.
The protocol on establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Uzbekistan was signed in Tashkent on 18 March 1992. India and Uzbekistan declared their Strategic Partnership in 2011. Several institutionalised mechanisms operate at both political and official levels under this partnership, to ensure regular interaction.
“In recent years, India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership has seen significant advancement,” PM Modi said in the statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Uzbekistan in July 2015, June 2016 and in September 2022. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, isited India in October 2018 and in January 2019.
The last in person meeting of the leaders was held in October 2024 on the sidelines of BRICS Summit in Kazan. On August 12, 2025 the two leaders held a telephonic conversation and reviewed the strategic partnership developments.
India and Uzbekistan share a strategic partnership established in 2011, with bilateral economic ties expanding steadily through cooperation in trade, investment, digital technologies and defence.
India is among top 10 trade partners of Uzbekistan with bilateral trade $1.5 billion as on today.
The two countries expect to double bilateral trade to about $3 billion over the next three years, Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said earlier this month. Goyal said the two countries could also explore a free trade agreement (FTA) as they deepen economic ties.
Addressing the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum in New Delhi, Goyal said that though bilateral trade has crossed around $1.5 billion, it still represents only a fraction of the potential between the two economies.
Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan's minister of investment, industry and trade, said at the forum that the bilateral trade grew by 30 per cent in 2025, surpassing $1.3 billion for the first time.
"We hope to reach $2 billion by next year, and we should work to increase our trade to $3-5 billion in the coming years," Kudratov said.
