Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President of Uzbekistan H.E. Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the”Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2019”on 18 January. Earlier, President Mirziyoyev, leading a large and high powered delegation,arrived in Gandhinagar on 17 January received by Shri O. P. Kohli, Hon’ble Governor of Gujarat.

During their meeting,Prime Minister extended a warm welcome to President Mirziyoyev and his delegation to Gujarat. Recalling their last meeting during the State Visit of President Mirziyoyev to India held on 30 September-1 October, 2018, Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction on progress and implementation of various decisions taken during the State Visit. Referring to the MoU on cooperation between Gujarat and the Andijan region of Uzbekistan signed during the State Visit, Prime Minister noted the presence of the Governor of Andijan region in the Uzbek delegation and expressed hope that as a result of President Mirziyoyev’s visit, relationship between Uzbekistan and India and region-to-region cooperation between Andijan and Gujarat would be further strengthened.

Prime Minister thanked President Mirziyoyev for his support for the First India-Central Asia Dialogue held at the level of Foreign Ministers in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 12-13 January 2019 where important discussions also took place on support to peace and development in Afghanistan.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev thanked Prime Minister for the invitation to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.He informed Prime Minister that Uzbekistan attaches high priority to attracting investments from India and mentioned sectors of IT, education, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agri-business and tourism as some of the priority areas for Uzbekistan’s prospective cooperation with India.

President Mirziyoyev congratulated Prime Minister on the successful outcome of the First India-Central Asia Dialogue which demonstrated India’s positive impact on the Central Asia region and the joint quest of the participant countries for peace in Afghanistan.

Both leaders witnessed the exchange of the contract between the Department of Atomic Energy of India and the Novoi Minerals and Metallurgical Company of the Republic of Uzbekistan on long-term supply of Uranium Ore Concentrate for India’s energy requirements.

Both leaders also welcomed the signing of the agreement between the Export-Import Bank of India and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on a Line of Credit of USD 200 million supported by the Government of India for financing housing and social infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan.The Line of Credit of USD 200 million to Uzbekistan had been announced earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the State Visit of President Mirziyoyev.

DeshGujarat via MEA