Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uzbekistan from August 29 to 30 and the Kyrgyz Republic from August 31 to September 1 for a State Visit and the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit respectively.
At the invitation of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Modi will undertake his fourth visit to Uzbekistan. During his stay in Tashkent, he will hold delegation-level talks with President Mirziyoyev to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The two leaders are expected to review cooperation in trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties. They will also discuss the way forward on their shared development visions of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Uzbekistan-2030.
Modi is also expected to visit the Shastri Memorial in Tashkent and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.
Following his Uzbekistan visit, Modi will travel to Bishkek on August 31 at the invitation of Kyrgyz Republic President Sadyr Zhaparov to participate in the 26th SCO Summit, which will conclude on September 1.
According to MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George, the summit programme will begin with a welcome dinner on August 31, followed by the plenary session on September 1, where Modi will deliver his remarks. Several bilateral meetings with SCO leaders are also expected to take place on the sidelines.
The summit marks the 25th anniversary of the SCO and will be held under the theme, ‘25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity’. India has been a full member of the organisation since 2017.
Modi is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Sixth World Nomad Games in Bishkek along with other leaders from SCO member countries. The event will showcase the rich cultural heritage of Central Asia.
India and Uzbekistan elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2011, and bilateral cooperation has since expanded across several sectors. India is among Uzbekistan's top 10 trading partners, with bilateral trade and investments together approaching USD 1 billion, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.