PM Modi’s Uzbekistan Visit: 11 MoUs And Agreements, 5 Announcements & State’s Highest Honour | India News

Last Updated:August 30, 2026, 17:46 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest honour, the ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order

PM Narendra Modi during his Uzbekistan trip. (X)

Uzbekistan’s highest honour to 11 MoUs and five announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi fourth trip to the country was marked by several high points.

PM Modi arrived in Tashkent on August 29 for a significant two-day state visit aimed at elevating the India-Uzbekistan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

HIGHEST HONOUR, TALKS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest honour, the ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order, during his visit to Tashkent. Accepting the award, Modi dedicated the recognition to India’s centuries-old heritage, its people and the long-standing friendship between India and Uzbekistan.

PM Modi held extensive bilateral and delegation-level talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Presidential Palace. The discussions centred on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education, and people-to-people ties. Both nations moved forward to establish concrete targets within their strategic partnership frameworks, accompanied by the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote: “Key outcomes from today’s talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent include: Elevation of India-Uzbekistan relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Boost trade to over 5 billion dollars by 2030. Increase cooperation in infrastructure, DPI, AI, critical minerals, energy, space and more. Enhance market access, connectivity, banking and payments.”

“India and Uzbekistan will: Cooperate in agriculture and healthcare. Scale up working in traditional medicines. Encourage educational and cultural exchanges. Work together for the conservation of Uzbekistan’s Buddhist heritage sites. Have more youth exchange programmes.”

WARM WELCOME

Upon arrival, PM Modi was accorded a warm, ceremonial welcome personally received by President Mirziyoyev. He paid tributes at the Yangi Uzbekistan Monument, a symbol of the country’s independence and heritage. His itinerary included paying respects at the historic Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial and visiting the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.

PM Modi interacted enthusiastically with members of the Indian diaspora in Tashkent, describing them as a crucial “living bridge” strengthening civilisational connections. The community hosted festive events featuring a mixture of Kathak, Andijan Polka, and an Indian-Uzbek musical fusion involving the tabla, Doira, and Chang. He attended a dedicated yoga event organised by the Yoga Federation of Uzbekistan.

The Ministry of External Affairs listed the MoUs and agreements:

• Cultural Exchange Programme between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the years 2026-30.
• Letter of Intent between the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the conservation and restoration of ancient buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and KaraTepa located in Termez, Uzbekistan.
• Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the field of archival work between the National Archives under the Ministry of Culture of India and the Agency “Uzarchive” under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on cooperation in the field of Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Mines of the Republic of India and Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Cooperation in the fields of Geology and Mineral Resources.
• Partnership Program on cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of India and the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of tourism for 2026-28.
• Memorandum of Understanding between The Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Affairs, Republic of India and the Diplomatic Academy at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan for an Economic and Financial Dialogue.
• Agreement between the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change of the Republic of India and National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan on cooperation in the field of environmental protection.
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Cooperation in the Field of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
• Cooperation Agreement between the Gujarat state of the Republic of India and the Samarkand region of the Republic of Uzbekistan of establishment of partnership relations.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Ministry of External Affairs listed the announcements:

• Elevating the India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
• Grant of USD 1 million for afforestation in the Aral Sea region
• Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Hindi Language (100 Scholarships)
• ICCR Sanskrit Chair at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies
• Commercial Agreement between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) with National Interbank Processing Centre JSC (NIPC), Uzbekistan to enable UPI Apps of India to scan national QR – UZQR for making merchant payments in Uzbekistan.

Following his engagements in Tashkent, the Prime Minister is scheduled to depart for Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

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How will the new agreements impact India-Uzbekistan trade by 2030?

The new agreements aim to boost India-Uzbekistan bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2030. This target will be achieved by focusing on areas such as market access, connectivity, banking, and payments.

What does the ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order signify for PM Modi?

The ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order is Uzbekistan’s highest honour, conferred upon PM Modi by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. PM Modi dedicated the award to the enduring friendship between India and Uzbekistan. He stated that the award should be seen as recognition of the people of India, rather than a personal honour.

Will India’s UPI system expand further into Central Asian countries?

India is discussing sharing its digital infrastructure and UPI system with Uzbekistan, and Indian payment methods, including UPI, are being integrated into merchant networks in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan through a fintech partnership. This integration allows Indian travellers to use UPI in these countries.

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