BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 9
By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:
Uzbekistan has naturally emerged as the focus of India's attention in a new more proactive approach towards the Central Asian region, Ambassador of India in Uzbekistan, Shri Santosh Jha told Trend.
"Uzbekistan is a country with which we share common history and tradition, located in the heart of Central Asia and being its most populous country," said the ambassador.
As he said, high level exchanges in the last one year have continued with the visit of India's then external affairs minister to Uzbekistan in January 2019 for the first India-Central Asia dialogue at Samarkand.
"This year in January, the Uzbek Foreign Minister visited New Delhi to participate in the prestigious Raisina Dialogue and became the first Central Asian dignitary to deliver a keynote address at this global forum hosted annually by India. He also had a meeting with Ministry of External Affairs which provided new guidance for directions of our rapidly expanding strategic ties. Last year in November, we also witnessed a visit by Indian defense minister for the first time in 15 years and the inauguration of the first-ever joint military exercise between the two countries," said Santosh Jha.
As ambassador said, defense agreements between Uzbekistan and India, on military education and military medicine are being implemented vigorously.
"Our security cooperation is also expanding following the holding of the first bilateral consultations between National Security Councils of the two countries in September 2019 and the visit of Uzbek Interior Minister and signing of an agreement on security cooperation in November 2019. We are also advancing our economic relationship by promoting bilateral trade and investment and seeking to conclude a Preferential Trade Agreement and a Bilateral Investment Treaty," said Santosh Jha.
The ambassador, said that the increased focus on economic aspects is reflected in the visit in October 2019 of the largest ever business delegation from the Indian state of Gujarat, which resulted in over 20 agreements and over 50 investment and economic cooperation proposals.
“India-Uzbekistan bilateral relations now encompass a wider canvas, including political and strategic issues, defense and security, trade and investment, energy, agriculture, science and technology, education and people-to-people ties,” said Santosh Jha.
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