The Indian Parliament is looking into a proposal to form a Parliamentary Friendship Group with the friendly nations. This is being considered to strengthen bilateral relations.
Key Points
- This was informed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla while meeting Dilshod Akhatov, the Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan, at the Parliament.
- During this meeting, Birla found that the India Friendship Group has been formed in both the Houses of the Uzbek Parliament.
- Along with this, he informed that a proposal to form a Parliamentary Friendship Group for Uzbekistan is now under consideration.
- Both India and Uzbekistan share friendly relations and are also strategic partners.
- Also, there has been a steady increase in cooperation between the two nations in all areas, including trade, politics, science, culture, humanitarian, defense, and education, over the years.
- The strategic partnership of the India and Uzbekistan has reached new heights after the visits of PM Modi to Uzbekistan in 2015 and 2016 and the visits of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirzioev to India in 2018 and 2019.
- Birla has thanked the Uzbek Parliament (Oli Majlis) Chairman for extending him an invitation to visit Uzbekistan.
- Birla also focused on issues like agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, and health and said that these areas have great potential for enhancing bilateral trade.
- He also highlighted that through the Chabahar port in Iran and being part of Uzbekistan’s INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor), India and Uzbekistan and the whole of Central Asia will have better connectivity in the future.
DUSTLIK II
India Uzbekistan joint military exercise DUSTLIK II recently began in Uttarakhand. It is the 2nd edition of the exercise and involves 45 soldiers each from the Indian and Uzbekistan Army.