New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave on a four-day trip on Saturday to strengthen bilateral ties with Uzbekistan and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan.
Modi’s Upcoming Visit to Uzbekistan
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, from August 29-30. This trip aims to enhance bilateral relations across various sectors, according to a statement from the external affairs ministry released on Thursday.
Modi will hold bilateral meetings with SCO leaders on the margins of the summit. In Uzbekistan, which Modi is visiting for the fourth time, he will hold talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are among the leaders expected to attend the summit, which will mark the 25th anniversary of the SCO, which India joined as a full member in 2017.
The PM will then travel to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek for two days to attend the SCO Summit, which is expected to focus on the evolving security scenario in the region, the ministry said. During his address at the summit, Modi will highlight India’s priorities such as security, connectivity and opportunity, the ministry said. The SCO was established with the primary goal of countering terror, separatism and extremism, which remain a challenge, Sibi George, secretary (West) in the ministry, told a media briefing. People familiar with the matter said Putin is among the leaders with whom Modi will hold bilateral meetings. The leaders will review cooperation in trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties, the ministry said.
