India Uzbekistan Elevate Ties to Strategic Partnership
11 agreements signed as Modi’s Uzbekistan visit expands cooperation in culture, health, minerals, education and payments
- India and Uzbekistan agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
- Eleven MoUs and agreements were listed across key sectors, including mining, tourism, education and environment.
- India announced USD 1 million for afforestation in the Aral Sea region.
- UPI apps will be enabled to scan Uzbekistan’s UZQR for merchant payments.
GG News Bureau
TASHKENT, 30th Aug: India and Uzbekistan have announced a series of agreements and initiatives aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation across strategic, economic, cultural and developmental sectors during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Uzbekistan.
According to the list of outcomes released by the Ministry of External Affairs, the two countries agreed to elevate the India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
A total of 11 MoUs and agreements were listed covering cultural exchanges, heritage conservation, archival cooperation, traditional medicine, mineral resources, tourism, diplomatic training, finance, environment, higher education and regional partnerships.
Cooperation in culture and heritage
India and Uzbekistan signed a Cultural Exchange Programme for 2026-30. The two sides also exchanged a Letter of Intent on the conservation and restoration of the ancient Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa in Termez, Uzbekistan.
An MoU was also signed between India’s National Archives and Uzbekistan’s Agency “Uzarchive” to strengthen cooperation in archival work.
The two countries agreed to cooperate in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine, while another agreement will promote cooperation in geology and mineral resources.
Education, tourism and finance
India’s Tourism Ministry and Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee adopted a 2026-28 partnership programme covering cooperation in tourism.
The Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and Uzbekistan’s Diplomatic Academy also signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation in diplomatic training.
An MoU between the finance ministries of the two countries will establish an Economic and Financial Dialogue.
India and Uzbekistan also signed an agreement on environmental protection, while another MoU will strengthen cooperation in higher education and scientific research.
At the sub-national level, Gujarat and the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan agreed to establish partnership relations.
New initiatives announced
India announced a USD 1 million grant for afforestation in the Aral Sea region. The two countries also announced the Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Hindi Language, offering 100 scholarships.
An ICCR Sanskrit Chair will be established at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.
In the digital payments sector, NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre JSC (NIPC) signed a commercial agreement to enable Indian UPI apps to scan the national UZQR system for merchant payments in Uzbekistan.
The outcomes underline the expansion of India-Uzbekistan cooperation across traditional sectors as well as emerging areas of economic, technological, educational and cultural engagement.
