Tashkent [Uzbekistan], August 30 (ANI): India and Uzbekistan's green initiatives came together on Sunday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev jointly planted a tree at the Presidential Palace garden in Tashkent under India's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative and Uzbekistan's 'Yashil Makon' green initiative.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a post on X, said the gesture reflected the shared commitment of the two countries towards nurturing a greener and more sustainable future.
"India and Uzbekistan for a greener planet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, jointly planted a tree in the Presidential Palace garden under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative of India and 'Yashil Makon' green efforts of Uzbekistan. The gesture reflects the shared commitment of India and Uzbekistan towards nurturing a greener and more sustainable future," the post read.
The tree plantation comes during Prime Minister Modi's two-day state visit to the Central Asian country from August 29 to August 30.
Earlier, PM Modi and President Mirziyoyev held bilateral and delegation-level talks in Tashkent, during which the two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Uzbekistan relations and discussed ways to further expand bilateral cooperation.
The talks resulted in several key outcomes, including the elevation of India-Uzbekistan relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a target to increase bilateral trade to more than USD 5 billion by 2030.
The two leaders also agreed to expand cooperation in infrastructure, digital public infrastructure (DPI), Artificial Intelligence, critical minerals, energy, space and several other emerging areas.
The discussions also focused on enhancing market access, connectivity, banking and payment systems between the two countries.
India and Uzbekistan further agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture and healthcare, scale up collaboration in traditional medicines, and encourage educational and cultural exchanges.
The two sides also agreed to work together for the conservation of Uzbekistan's Buddhist heritage sites and expand youth exchange programmes.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan today. Both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Uzbekistan relations. The talks focussed on expanding cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, infrastructure, critical minerals, mining, defence and security, innovation, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, health, information technology, digital public infrastructure including UPI and education, among others," the MEA said in another post on X.
"Both leaders witnessed the exchange of several MoUs and agreements covering a wide range of areas, including mining, culture, education, tourism, ayurveda, among others. A Letter of Intent for the restoration and conservation of the Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa in Uzbekistan was also agreed upon," the post added.
PM Modi was also conferred with the 'Oliy Darajali Do'stlik' Order, Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders.
"Honoured to receive the 'Oliy Darajali Do'stlik' Order. I dedicate this to the enduring bond between India and Uzbekistan," PM Modi said.
The MEA said the award was conferred by President Mirziyoyev in recognition of PM Modi's contribution to strengthening the friendship between the two countries.
"PM Narendra Modi was conferred with 'Oliy Darajali Do'stlik' Order by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This is Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders and has been awarded for PM's contribution in strengthening the friendship between two countries. PM dedicated the accolade to the 1.4 billion people of India and highlighted that it is a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two civilizations," the MEA stated on X.
India and Uzbekistan established diplomatic relations on March 18, 1992, when the protocol establishing diplomatic ties was signed in Tashkent. India was among the first countries to recognise Uzbekistan's sovereignty following its independence.
The two countries elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2011. Since then, the partnership has been supported by several institutional mechanisms at the political and official levels to ensure regular engagement.
PM Modi's current two-day state visit to Uzbekistan, from August 29 to August 31, follows his previous visit to the country in 2015, as well as his visits in 2016 and 2022 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summits.
The bilateral relationship has also witnessed high-level exchanges, including President Mirziyoyev's State Visit to India in 2018 and his participation in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in 2019.
Following his visit to Tashkent, PM Modi will travel to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov to participate in the 26th SCO Summit, which will mark 25 years of the organisation. (ANI)
India-Uzbekistan green initiatives join hands as PM Modi, Uzbek President plant tree under 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', 'Yashil Makon'
