Tashkent, Jul 7 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that language was the key to the development of personality.

Modi, who was interacting with indologists, Hindi language students and Indian community members here, also said that language helped connect with strangers in a foreign place and hearing someone speak in one's native tongue gave happiness.

Modi said that he had detailed discussions with the President Islam Karimov and Prime Minister Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoev of Uzbekistan.

"At the dinner, Indian songs were sung," he said.

Modi earlier in a tweet said: "Indian movies, language and music are very popular in Uzbekistan. In 2012, Uzbek radio completed 50 years of Hindi broadcasting."

The prime minister also said that a DNA test of language would show that it had a very big heart as it absorbs everything without any bias.

Uzbekistan is the first leg of Modi's eight-day tour to Central Asia and Ufa in Russia.