Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to undertake a significant visit to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, reflecting India’s growing engagement with Central Asia.

The trip to Bishkek will be centred on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where he will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with fellow leaders.

His visit to Uzbekistan will be a standalone bilateral engagement, underscoring the importance New Delhi attaches to its ties with Tashkent.

The confirmation of the Uzbekistan leg of the visit came from the country’s Foreign Minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, who is currently in New Delhi. During his meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and President Droupadi Murmu, Mr Saidov stated that preparations were underway for the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit. He emphasised that the engagement would provide fresh impetus to deepening and strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Uzbekistan views India as a key strategic and trade partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade between the two countries has already reached the milestone of one billion dollars. Defence cooperation, commercial ties, connectivity projects, and people-to-people exchanges are expected to feature prominently in the discussions.

The two nations regularly conduct joint military exercises under the banner “Dustlik,” which has become a cornerstone of their defence collaboration. Prime Minister Modi has previously visited Uzbekistan three times, in July 2015, June 2016 in Tashkent, and September 2022 in Samarkand, each visit contributing to the strengthening of ties.

In Kyrgyzstan, the primary focus will be the SCO summit, which serves as a vital platform for regional security and economic cooperation. Several bilateral meetings are also scheduled on the sidelines of the summit. Defence ties form a major pillar of the India–Kyrgyzstan relationship.

These include training Kyrgyz personnel at Indian defence establishments, conducting joint military exercises, and running exchange programs. Collaborative research at the Kyrgyz-India Mountain Bio-Medical Research Centre in Bishkek further highlights the scientific and defence cooperation between the two nations. India has also allocated one hundred slots for Kyrgyz nationals under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation program, covering a wide range of courses.

Prime Minister Modi last visited Kyrgyzstan in 2019, with an earlier visit in 2015. Both trips underscored India’s commitment to building strong partnerships in Central Asia. His forthcoming visits to Bishkek and Tashkent are expected to reinforce India’s strategic outreach in the region, focusing on trade, defence, connectivity, and broader geopolitical cooperation.

Agencies