Text of PM’s Departure Statement ahead of visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic in late August 2026 represents a significant milestone in India's deepening engagement with Central Asia, a region of immense strategic, economic, and civilisational importance. This visit, comprising a State Visit to Tashkent (29-30 August) followed by participation in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek (31 August-1 September), underscores India's commitment to its 'Extended Neighbourhood' policy and the Act East and Connect Central Asia strategies. The historical context is crucial: India's ties with Central Asia date back millennia through the Silk Route, facilitating not just trade but profound cultural, religious, and intellectual exchanges — Buddhism, Sufism, art, and architecture all traversed these lands. The ancient city of Tashkent itself was a key node on this route. In modern times, the relationship was reinvigorated after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, when the five Central Asian republics — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — gained independence. India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations, and the first India-Central Asia Summit was held in 2022, institutionalising high-level engagement. The State Visit to Uzbekistan, at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, aims to elevate the India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership, established in 2011. Uzbekistan, the most populous Central Asian nation and a regional hub, is pivotal for India's connectivity ambitions. Key focus areas include trade and investment (bilateral trade crossed $700 million in 2023-24, with potential in pharmaceuticals, IT, and agriculture), digital connectivity (India's expertise in digital public infrastructure like UPI, Aadhaar, and CoWIN aligns with Uzbekistan's 'Digital Uzbekistan 2030' strategy), defence cooperation (joint exercises like 'Dustlik', military training, and defence industry collaboration), and energy security (Uranium supply from Uzbekistan — a 2019 agreement ensures long-term supply for India's nuclear power programme, critical for clean energy transition under the Paris Agreement commitments). The visit also highlights civilisational ties: the PM will visit the Shastri Memorial (honouring former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri, who passed away in Tashkent in 1966 after signing the Tashkent Declaration) and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, symbolising shared values of peace and non-violence. These align with the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India by 2047) and Uzbekistan's 'Yangi Uzbekistan' (New Uzbekistan) reform agenda. The 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek marks 25 years of the organisation, founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan (the 'Shanghai Five' plus Uzbekistan). India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017. The SCO has evolved into a major platform for regional security, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange, representing over 40% of global population and 30% of global GDP. India's vision for the SCO centres on three pillars: Security (combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism — the 'three evils' identified in the SCO Charter; India has consistently pushed for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the UN), Connectivity (projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor — INSTC, Chabahar Port in Iran, and the Ashgabat Agreement, which India joined in 2018, to enhance trade access to Central Asia bypassing Pakistan), and Opportunity (promoting trade, investment, technology transfer, and people-to-people ties). The PM's attendance at the 6th World Nomad Games opening ceremony further underscores India's respect for Central Asia's living heritage — nomadic traditions, equestrian sports, and cultural practices that resonate with India's own diverse tribal and folk traditions. Constitutionally, Article 51 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV) mandates the State to 'promote international peace and security', 'maintain just and honourable relations between nations', and 'encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration' — principles guiding India's multilateral diplomacy. Article 253 empowers Parliament to make laws for implementing international agreements, relevant for domesticating SCO commitments. The visit also reflects the 'Neighbourhood First' and 'Act East' policies, now extended to 'Connect Central Asia'. Future implications are profound: deeper integration with Central Asia can reduce India's over-reliance on maritime routes, diversify energy imports (critical for energy security under the National Energy Policy), unlock the region's vast rare earth mineral reserves (essential for India's semiconductor and EV ambitions under the PLI schemes), and provide a counterbalance to China's Belt and Road Initiative through transparent, sovereignty-respecting connectivity projects. The visit may also catalyse the long-pending India-Central Asia FTA and accelerate INSTC operationalisation. For aspirants, this visit encapsulates the intersection of history, geography, diplomacy, and economics — the very essence of India's foreign policy in the 21st century.