PM Modi Conferred With Uzbekistan’s Supreme State Award ‘Order of Oliy Darajali Dustlik’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's conferment of Uzbekistan's supreme state award, the Order of Oliy Darajali Dustlik, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on 24 April 2025 marks a significant milestone in India-Central Asia relations. The award, which translates to 'Order of High Degree Friendship,' is Uzbekistan's highest civilian honour, previously bestowed upon global leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. PM Modi's acceptance speech dedicating the honour to India's 1.4 billion citizens reflects the constitutional ethos of Article 51(c) of the Indian Constitution, which directs the State to foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in dealings with organised peoples. This recognition comes at a time when India's 'Extended Neighbourhood' policy, articulated during the first India-Central Asia Summit in January 2022, is actively reshaping diplomatic contours. Historically, India-Uzbekistan ties trace back to the ancient Silk Road, with cultural exchanges evident in the shared legacy of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, who hailed from Fergana Valley in present-day Uzbekistan. Post-independence, the 1991 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation laid the institutional foundation, upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2011 during PM Manmohan Singh's visit. The current award underscores the deepening of this partnership under the Modi government's 'Connect Central Asia' policy (2012), which prioritises energy security, connectivity, and counter-terrorism cooperation. Economically, Uzbekistan's vast uranium reserves (seventh largest globally) are critical for India's nuclear energy programme under the 2019 agreement for long-term uranium supply, while the Chabahar Port and International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) enhance trade connectivity bypassing Pakistan. Politically, the award signals Uzbekistan's endorsement of India's leadership in the Global South, particularly relevant as both nations navigate great power competition involving China's Belt and Road Initiative and Russia's Eurasian Economic Union. The joint counter-terrorism exercises like 'Dustlik' (meaning friendship) and intelligence sharing on radicalisation threats from Afghanistan post-2021 Taliban takeover further cement security cooperation. Looking ahead, the operationalisation of the India-Uzbekistan Preferential Trade Agreement and collaboration in pharmaceuticals, IT, and agriculture will likely expand. For aspirants, this event exemplifies India's multi-vector foreign policy balancing major powers while asserting strategic autonomy — a recurring theme in UPSC GS Paper II and essay papers. The constitutional directive under Article 51, the role of parliamentary diplomacy through the India-Uzbekistan Inter-Governmental Commission, and the soft power projection via cultural centres like the Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture in Tashkent are all interconnected dimensions worth mastering.