Date: 03 Aug 2026
Your Excellency, Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, members of the two delegations, let me say Minister, what a great pleasure it is to welcome you and your delegation to India. I can tell you, as a friend, I’m really really happy to see you and I am very confident that our meeting today will certainly contribute to the deepening of our ties.
2. Now, we in India very much consider Uzbekistan to be a part of our extended neighbourhood, and there has always been a continuous exchange of people, of ideas, of goods in both directions. We share a very long historical and cultural linkage as well.
3. In more modern times, we have had regular interaction at political levels, between our systems at an institutional level, and I am very glad to see that there has been a steady momentum in our ties. Our leadership has maintained very close contact, and my Prime Minister has a very special regard for your President.
4. Excellency, members of both delegations, our bilateral relations over the years have expanded and today they really span very diverse range of domains from construction and digital to energy, health, education, we want to take it into mining, and we have a trade today of close to a billion dollars, we definitely think that that number should go up.
5. I also want to share with you that we have setup a Parliamentary Friendship Group for India - Uzbekistan contacts, and we hope that these regular contacts between our representatives would be useful for further strengthening our ties.
6. In terms of foreign policy, as developing countries we share a commonality of views on international and regional issues, particularly when it comes to terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. We cooperate in a number of bilateral and multilateral foras including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
7. We deeply appreciate that the Government and people of Uzbekistan have taken a strong stand on combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. You have your own challenges and your own experiences but we know both of us have shown zero tolerance towards sanctuaries and towards cross-border terrorism.
8. Excellency, India is the Chair of the BRICS this year. I want to express our appreciation for the support that you have given as partner country to the BRICS activities and initiatives. And I want from our side to convey our support for Uzbekistan’s Chairship of the Non Alignment Movement for the period 2027-2029.
9. So let me again warmly welcome you and your delegation to India and I would request you for your opening remarks.
New Delhi
August 03, 2026
