New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakhtiyor Saidov, arrived in New Delhi on Monday for an official visit to further strengthen bilateral relations between India and Uzbekistan.  Welcoming his arrival, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “A very warm welcome to Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov @FM Saidov of Uzbekistan on his arrival in New Delhi for an official visit,” in a post on X.Saidov is visiting India till August 5 at the invitation of the Indian government. During his visit, the Uzbek Foreign Minister is scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and hold discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He will also participate in a business forum in New Delhi, highlighting opportunities for expanding economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries.

The visit comes at a time when India and Uzbekistan are seeking to deepen their strategic partnership across multiple sectors, including trade, investment, technology, energy, education, and connectivity. Ahead of the visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Saidov on July 20, during which both leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.Following the conversation, EAM Jaishankar said that the discussions focused on “deepening our bilateral ties, including in trade, investment and other areas.” Saidov also described the talks as substantive and said both sides agreed to continue regular and trust-based dialogue between their foreign ministries.

India and Uzbekistan have maintained close diplomatic engagement under their strategic partnership framework. In May, the two countries held the 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi, where officials reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.During the consultations, both sides focused on expanding cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, tourism, digital technology, innovation, energy, and education. The two countries also discussed strengthening coordination in international forums and advancing future high-level engagements.Saidov’s visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to India-Uzbekistan relations, particularly in enhancing economic partnerships and exploring new areas of cooperation between the two strategic partners in Central Asia.

/IANS