PM Modi speaks at Indo-Uzbek virtual summit; says 'We have similar threats, opportunities'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed Indo-Uzbek virtual summit. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this meeting is the first bilateral virtual summit between India and a Central Asian country. The leaders of both countries discussed the entire spectrum of the bilateral relationship, including strengthening India-Uzbekistan cooperation in the post-COVID-19 world. PM Modi & Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

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PM Modi speaks at Indo-Uzbek virtual summit

While speaking at Indo-Uzbek virtual summit, the Prime Minister congratulated Uzbekistan's President on the occasion of the 5th year anniversary of his which will be on December 14. Stating that he was keen to visit the country this year, but could not do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi said that both the nations of similar threats and opportunities. India and Uzbekistan's approach towards threats and opportunities are also similar, PM Modi added. 

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said, "I hope that next year your official visit to Uzbekistan will take place. It will be a historical event in the development of friendly relations between our countries."

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PM Modi said, “The relationship between India and Uzbekistan goes back to a long time. We have similar threats and opportunities. Our approach towards these is also similar. India and Uzbekistan have the same stance against radicalism, separatism, fundamentalism."

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Recalling Uzbekistan President's visit to India in 2018 and 2019, Narendra Modi said that those visits opened a new horizon for the bilateral relationships. He also mentioned that both the country's opinions on regional security are also the same and both of them agree that Afghanistan needs a peace process led and controlled by Afghanistan. 

India and Uzbekistan have continued to maintain high-level exchanges in the recent past. The visits of Prime Minister Modi to Uzbekistan in 2015 and 2016 and President Mirziyoyev to India in 2018 and 2019 have imparted a new dynamism to the strategic partnership. Several Government-to-Government agreements and MoUs are expected to be concluded coinciding with the Virtual Summit.

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