Tashkent, August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India and Uzbekistan will work together to preserve Uzbekistan’s Buddhist heritage sites, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, announcing a series of initiatives to deepen cultural, educational, tourism and economic ties between the two countries.
Addressing a joint press meet with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent after their talks, Modi said the shared heritage of the two nations formed deep roots of their relationship. He also announced scholarships to promote the Hindi language in Uzbekistan and stressed the importance of greater exchanges among youth, particularly students and professionals.
The two sides also reached an agreement on a “Program of Cooperation” aimed at promoting tourism between India and Uzbekistan.
Modi said the strengths of the two countries in agriculture and healthcare were complementary. He highlighted the potential of combining Uzbekistan’s horticulture experience with India’s modern agricultural practices to contribute to food security in both countries.
He also described Uzbekistan’s medicinal herbs and India’s Ayurveda expertise as a natural combination. According to Modi, an agreement on traditional medicine reached during the visit would strengthen cooperation in the sector.
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The Prime Minister said India would also seek to expand the partnership beyond the two national capitals by establishing partnerships between cities and states of the two countries.
Noting that 2026 marks the 15th anniversary of the India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership, Modi said both sides had decided to elevate their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He said close defence and security cooperation reflected the deep mutual trust between the two countries. India and Uzbekistan will work towards establishing direct linkages, co-production and co-development between their defence industries, he said.
Modi said terrorism, extremism and separatism remained major challenges for the region and reaffirmed the two countries’ shared commitment to a policy of zero tolerance towards them.
On trade, Modi said bilateral commerce had crossed $1 billion, with both countries targeting $5 billion by 2030. To achieve the goal, the two sides will focus on market access, connectivity, banking and payment systems, besides working together on infrastructure development.
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