Indian Ambassador Smita Pant has underlined that India and Uzbekistan are expected to explore the possibility of long-term supply arrangements for critical minerals during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming state visit to Uzbekistan.

She emphasised that critical minerals and energy cooperation are “very, very important” for both countries, given Uzbekistan’s resource base and India’s growing requirements. Pant noted that Uzbekistan is a resource-rich nation and India’s requirements of critical minerals are huge, making long-term supply pacts a natural subject of discussion.

The Prime Minister’s visit, scheduled for 29–30 August, comes after an 11-year gap since his last bilateral visit in 2015. It is expected to further consolidate the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Pant highlighted that bilateral economic ties have expanded significantly since 2015, with trade increasing by 300 per cent and investments in Uzbekistan rising by more than 700 per cent. People-to-people exchanges and tourism have also grown steadily, adding depth to the relationship.

She described the agenda as extremely comprehensive, noting that the visit would cement an already strong strategic partnership. On trade and investment, Pant said discussions were already underway, including the possibility of conducting a feasibility study for a preferential trade agreement.

She recalled that the Uzbek Commerce Minister’s recent visit to India included extensive discussions with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on expanding bilateral trade. The feasibility study remains at a conceptual stage but reflects the ambition of both sides.

Pant acknowledged that connectivity remains a major bottleneck in expanding commercial ties. She stressed that both India and Uzbekistan are natural markets with potential to import and export much more, but connectivity challenges must be addressed to unlock this potential.

She also pointed to the bilateral investment treaty signed two years ago, which has already come into force, providing comfort and cushion to business communities on both sides.

Trade and investment will form part of a broader agenda that includes multilateral cooperation, development partnership, culture, pharmaceuticals, health, traditional medicine, agriculture and FinTech. Pant confirmed that consultations on multilateral matters will be held, with stronger cooperation expected at the United Nations and other forums.

Development cooperation, particularly India’s capacity-building and training programs in Uzbekistan, will also receive attention. Several Memoranda of Understanding are expected to be signed during the visit to concretise cooperation in culture and other areas.

Pant described Uzbekistan as a pivotal country for India’s engagement with Central Asia, citing its geographical position and historical role along the ancient Silk Road. She noted that Uzbekistan borders all Central Asian countries as well as Afghanistan, making it central to India’s access to the region. 

Defence and security cooperation has also been expanding, with military exchanges, capacity-building initiatives and training programs forming an important component of the relationship.

Pant recalled that the Chief of Army Staff visited Uzbekistan in 2024 and that numerous exchanges have taken place since. India also has a technical team deployed at the University of Military Security, imparting courses on cyber security and artificial intelligence, reflecting the upswing in cooperation.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi will undertake the visit at the invitation of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The two leaders will hold delegation-level talks and review cooperation in trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties.

They will also exchange views on advancing the shared developmental visions of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Uzbekistan-2030. PM Modi is expected to visit the Shastri Memorial in Tashkent and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, where Hindi has been taught since 1947 and which has a longstanding tradition of Indology studies.

The Uzbekistan visit will be followed by PM Modi’s trip to the Kyrgyz Republic from 31 August to 1 September to participate in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek.

This sequence of visits underscores India’s deepening engagement with Central Asia and its commitment to strengthening regional partnerships.

ANI