Kathmandu— During a four-day official visit, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and President Droupadi Murmu met with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov to discuss expanding bilateral relations. The discussions focused on increasing trade, particularly in the mining sector, rare earth minerals, and other key areas such as construction, digital technology, energy, healthcare, and education.

Expanding Bilateral Relations

Jaishankar emphasized India's strategic view of Uzbekistan, noting that both nations have a long history of cultural exchange. He highlighted the current momentum in bilateral engagements across various sectors, including construction and digital technology. "We want to take it into mining," Jaishankar said, indicating an intention to explore new areas for cooperation.

Trade between India and Uzbekistan currently stands at around $1 billion, a figure both sides aim to increase significantly. President Murmu expressed optimism about the potential in rare earth minerals, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and information technology.

Institutional Ties Strengthened

To foster closer ties, India and Uzbekistan have established a parliamentary friendship group. Jaishankar voiced hope that regular exchanges between representatives would provide additional momentum to diplomatic and economic relations.

Earlier in the day, Saidov met with President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Their discussions covered strategic cooperation, shared historical heritage, and burgeoning commercial synergy. The meeting was also marked by an India-Uzbekistan Business Forum organized on the sidelines of the visit.

Both leaderships reaffirmed their commitment to expanding strategic cooperation in Central Asia, expressing confidence that high-level exchanges will further strengthen the bonds of trust, friendship, and economic cooperation between the two nations.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.