India, Uzbekistan Strengthen Strategic Ties with Emphasis on Energy, Defence and Rare Earth Cooperation

India and Uzbekistan have carried out a broad review of their strategic partnership during Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov's official visit to New Delhi, with both countries reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors. The high-level discussions covered a wide range of areas, including energy, infrastructure, defence, trade, education, culture, and emerging opportunities in critical minerals and mining.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a post on X, said he held detailed talks with his Uzbek counterpart, focusing on ways to deepen bilateral ties while also exchanging views on regional developments and enhancing cooperation through multilateral platforms. A major outcome of the meeting was the decision to expand collaboration in strategic sectors, particularly rare earth minerals and mining. India signalled its intention to work more closely with Uzbekistan in these areas as both nations seek to diversify and strengthen their economic partnership.

Jaishankar noted that India and Uzbekistan already enjoy cooperation in sectors such as construction, digital technology, energy, healthcare, and education. He said the partnership is now set to broaden further, with mining emerging as a key area of future engagement. Bilateral trade currently stands at around $1 billion, and both governments expressed their determination to significantly increase this figure in the years ahead by encouraging greater investment and commercial cooperation.

India also reiterated its support for Uzbekistan's chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for the 2027–2029 term. Jaishankar thanked Tashkent for supporting India's BRICS Summit presidency and appreciated Uzbekistan's consistent position against terrorism. During his visit, Foreign Minister Saidov also met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Their discussions reflected the growing depth of India-Uzbekistan relations, with a strong focus on trade, rare earth minerals, education, and the historical and cultural ties linking the two countries. President Murmu expressed confidence that bilateral cooperation would continue to expand in priority sectors such as mining, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and other areas of mutual interest.

She also highlighted the importance of educational and professional exchanges in strengthening people-to-people ties. More than 3,000 Uzbek officials, professionals, and students have participated in India's Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programmes and scholarship initiatives, while over 16,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in higher education institutions across Uzbekistan. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhancing strategic engagement in Central Asia and agreed that the outcomes of the current visit would further reinforce the longstanding friendship, mutual trust, and comprehensive partnership between India and Uzbekistan.