Jaishankar congratulates Uzbekistan on its 31st Independence Day

"Congratulations to Acting FM @VladimirNorov and the Government and people of Uzbekistan on the 31st anniversary of their Independence. Will continue our close bilateral and multilateral cooperation," tweeted Jaishankar.

India-Uzbekistan relations are deep-rooted in history and have been progressing well over the years.

India was one of the first countries to acknowledge the state sovereignty of Uzbekistan after its independence in 1991.

In August 1991, as the events leading to the disintegration of the USSR unfolded, the then Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Uzbekistan was visiting India. Uzbekistan became independent on 1st September 1991.

The bilateral relations encompass political and strategic issues, defence and security, trade and investment, energy, agriculture, Science & technology, education, and people-to-people ties.

They are managed through a robust mechanism including an Intergovernmental Commission, which oversees trade and economic relations and Foreign Office Consultations.

Uzbekistan and India have signed Agreements/MOUs/ Protocols/Joint Statements in areas such as trade, investment, education, civil aviation, tourism, science & technology, telecommunications, agriculture, and IT.

Trade relations between India and Uzbekistan are governed by the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation signed in May 1993.

Despite COVID-19, interactions & trade have increased in the last few years. Trade has increased from USD 247 mn in 2019-20 to USD 342 mn in 2021-22, a growth of 38.5 per cent.

India's exports to Uzbekistan include pharmaceutical products, mechanical equipment, vehicles, service, optical instruments, and equipment.

India's imports from Uzbekistan are fruit and vegetable products, services, fertilizers, juice products, extracts, and lubricants.

India-Uzbekistan shares a common perspective on several security issues like terrorism, trans-national organized crime, illegal trafficking, smuggling, etc.

The main focus has been to assist Uzbek security agencies through training and capacity building.

The first-ever joint military exercise held between India and Uzbekistan was named Dustlik.

India has also assisted in setting up an India Room at the Armed Forces Academy of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.

The diplomatic relations between the two nations completed 30 years in 2022. (ANI)