India and Uzbekistan moved to significantly expand their strategic and economic footprint on Monday, with New Delhi highlighting its intent to deepen ties across critical rare earth minerals and mining during high-level talks in the capital.

The discussions took centre stage during the official visit of Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, who met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of a four-day official visit spanning August 2 to 5.

EAM Jaishankar warmly welcomed the Uzbek delegation and emphasised India’s civilizational and strategic view of Tashkent, noting the steady momentum in bilateral engagements. He underlined the historic exchanges of people, ideas, and goods between the two nations, stressing that modern political and institutional interactions continue to strengthen ties.

He pointed out that bilateral cooperation already spans construction, digital technology, energy, healthcare, and education, but both nations are ready to chart new territory. He stated clearly, “We want to take it into mining.”

Trade between the two nations currently hovers around $1 billion, a figure both sides are eager to scale up. Jaishankar expressed strong optimism for commercial growth, remarking, “We definitely think that that number should go up.”

To foster closer institutional ties, both countries have established a parliamentary friendship group. Jaishankar voiced hope that regular exchanges between representatives would provide additional momentum to diplomatic and economic relations.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Saidov called on President Droupadi Murmu. Their meeting touched upon strategic cooperation, shared historical heritage, and burgeoning commercial synergy. This sentiment was bolstered by the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum organised on the sidelines of the visit.

President Murmu underlined that there is immense potential for cooperation between India and Uzbekistan in the mining sector, particularly in rare earth minerals, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. She also lauded the robust educational and professional exchanges acting as the backbone of bilateral relations.

More than 3,000 Uzbek officials, professionals, and students have been trained under India’s ITEC and scholarship programs. At the same time, over 16,000 Indian students are currently pursuing higher education in Uzbekistan, reflecting the depth of people-to-people ties.

Both leaderships reaffirmed their commitment to expanding strategic cooperation in Central Asia. They expressed confidence that the high-level exchanges will further strengthen the bonds of trust, friendship, and economic cooperation between the two nations.

The talks also highlighted Uzbekistan’s growing interest in India’s pharmaceutical exports and digital technology expertise, while India is keen to tap into Uzbekistan’s mineral wealth and agricultural potential. The synergy between the two economies is expected to create new opportunities for investment, innovation, and sustainable growth.

The visit builds upon recent high-level exchanges between New Delhi and Tashkent, including India’s support for Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization earlier this year. It reflects a shared determination to elevate the partnership to new heights, with mining and critical minerals now firmly at the centre of the agenda.

ANI