SYLLABUS
GS-2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Context: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Uzbekistan, at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, marked an important step in strengthening India’s engagement with Central Asia.
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• The visit resulted in 11 agreements covering critical minerals, uranium, trade, defence, digital payments, education, culture and heritage conservation.
• Both sides set a US$5 billion trade target and agreed to strengthen long-term energy cooperation.
• President Shavkat Mirziyoyev conferred Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the “Order of Oliy Darajali Do’stlik,” on PM Narendra Modi for his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.
Major Outcomes of the Visit
• Political and Institutional Cooperation: India and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral ties and elevate cooperation towards a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
- A Foreign Ministers-led mechanism was agreed upon to coordinate and oversee the implementation of bilateral agreements and priority projects.
• Defence and Security Cooperation: Both countries reaffirmed their zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. They agreed to strengthen cooperation against:
- Terror financing and terrorist infrastructure;Organised crime and illicit drug trafficking
- Violent extremism;Cyber threats.
• Trade, Economic and Investment Cooperation: India and Uzbekistan recognised the untapped potential of bilateral trade and investment and agreed to diversify economic relations. Key areas included:
- Addressing non-tariff barriers through a Joint Working Group.
- Promoting e-commerce and digitalisation of trade procedures.
- Strengthening manufacturing and export capabilities.
- Facilitating greater two-way investment.
- Exploring next steps towards a Preferential Trade Agreement.
- Promoting cooperation in electrical goods, engineering products, automobiles and pharmaceuticals.
• Energy, Natural Resources and Critical Minerals: Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in renewable energy, energy infrastructure, geology, mining and critical minerals.
• Agriculture and Food Security: India and Uzbekistan agreed to strengthen cooperation in agricultural value chains, food security and export capabilities.
• Transport, Logistics and Connectivity: The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to improving multimodal transport and logistics connectivity.
• Digital Technology, AI and Space Cooperation: Digital transformation emerged as a major pillar of bilateral cooperation.
• Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Human Resource Development: Both countries agreed to deepen cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, nanotechnology and medical research.
