Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday embarked for his three-day visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, where he will participate in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and hold delegation-level talks, aiming to strengthen India's strategic partnerships in central Asia and deepen the civilisation connect with the region.
In his departure statement, the Prime Minister also said his two-nation visit will help New Delhi advance its "shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity, values that lie at the heart of India’s engagement with the world."
PM's Uzbekistan visit
On the first leg of his two-nation visit, PM Modi will arrive in Uzbekistan's Tashkent for a bilateral visit. This is going to be his fourth visit to Uzbekistan during which he will hold delegation-level talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, discussing ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
During the visit, he would also visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, which he called a tribute to the close cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Uzbekistan.
"I look forward to my discussions with President Mirziyoyev on further deepening our cooperation in trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence, energy, and on advancing our shared visions of Viksit Bharat and Yangi Uzbekistan," he said.
PM's Kyrgyzstan visit
The Prime Minister's Uzbekistan will last till August 30 after which he would head to Kyrgyzstan to attend the SCO Summit in Bishkek at the invitation of President Sadyr Zhaparov. The summit marks the 25th anniversary of the SCO, of which India has been a full member since 2017.
He also hold bilateral meetings with several SCO leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the summit. Later, he will participate in the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan.
"I look forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which continue to threaten peace and stability in our neighbourhood and beyond," PM Modi said.
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