English Translation of Prime Minister’s Press Statement during the Joint Press Statement with the President of Uzbekistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fourth visit to Uzbekistan in September 2024 marks a watershed moment in India-Central Asia relations, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership established in 2009. This visit culminated in the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a diplomatic upgrade signalling deeper political trust, expanded sectoral cooperation, and long-term strategic alignment. The historical context is crucial: India's engagement with Central Asia gained momentum after the 2012 'Connect Central Asia' policy, but received a decisive push with PM Modi's first visit to all five Central Asian nations in 2015. Uzbekistan, geographically at the heart of Central Asia, has emerged as India's closest partner in the region under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's reformist 'Yangi Uzbekistan' (New Uzbekistan) agenda launched in 2016, which aligns remarkably with India's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision. The $5 billion bilateral trade target by 2030 — up from just over $1 billion currently — reflects ambitious economic intent. Achieving this requires addressing structural bottlenecks: market access barriers, inadequate connectivity (especially the missing Chabahar Port link and the stalled International North-South Transport Corridor), and underdeveloped banking/payment mechanisms. The Joint Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation will need to operationalize rupee-som trade settlement and explore digital payment interoperability, possibly leveraging India's UPI stack — a prime example of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) diplomacy. The cooperation portfolio is strikingly future-oriented: Artificial Intelligence, critical minerals (Uzbekistan holds significant rare earth reserves vital for India's semiconductor and EV ambitions), clean energy (solar, green hydrogen), space (joint satellite applications), and civil nuclear energy (Uzbekistan plans its first nuclear plant with Russian tech; India can offer SMR expertise and training). Defence cooperation moving toward co-production and co-development under the Defence Cooperation Agreement (2018) aligns with India's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' in defence and Uzbekistan's military modernization. The zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, extremism, and separatism reflects shared threat perceptions from Afghanistan and groups like ISIS-K, reinforcing security coordination under the SCO and UN frameworks. Constitutionally, Article 51(c) of the Directive Principles of State Policy mandates fostering respect for international law and treaty obligations — the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership embodies this. Article 253 empowers Parliament to implement international agreements, relevant for upcoming treaties on traditional medicine, cultural exchange, and nuclear cooperation. The Agreement on Traditional Medicine, combining Uzbekistan's rich medicinal flora with India's Ayurveda (regulated under the NCISM Act, 2020), exemplifies soft power diplomacy. Cultural pillars — Buddhist heritage preservation (linking to India's Act East and Buddhist diplomacy), Hindi scholarships, youth exchanges, tourism, and sports (chess, Kurash, Kabaddi) — deepen people-to-people ties, essential for sustainable partnerships. Future implications are profound: A stronger India-Uzbekistan axis can anchor India's Central Asia policy, facilitate connectivity to Eurasia via the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian Route), and counterbalance Chinese influence in the region. The partnership could become a template for India's engagement with other Central Asian states. For aspirants, this visit encapsulates key themes: neighbourhood diplomacy, economic statecraft, technology cooperation, cultural civilizational links, and the evolving architecture of India's foreign policy in a multipolar world.