Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as India intensifies its engagement with Central Asia through stronger strategic, economic, and security partnerships.
The proposed visit will include participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, along with a standalone bilateral visit to Uzbekistan aimed at expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.
The planned visit to Uzbekistan has been confirmed by the country’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, who is currently on an official visit to New Delhi.
During his visit, Saidov met External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and also called on President Droupadi Murmu.
Speaking about the upcoming visit, Saidov said:
“We agreed to prepare for the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to Uzbekistan. It will give impetus to deepening and strengthening bilateral cooperation.”
Uzbekistan considers India one of its key strategic and trade partners in South Asia.
According to the Uzbek Foreign Minister:
- Bilateral trade has already reached US$1 billion
- Discussions are expected to focus on:
- Trade and investment
- Defence cooperation
- Connectivity projects
- People-to-people exchanges
The two countries also conduct the joint military exercise “Dustlik,” reflecting growing defence cooperation.
Prime Minister Modi has visited Uzbekistan on three earlier occasions:
- July 2015
- June 2016 (Tashkent)
- September 2022 (Samarkand)
The upcoming visit is expected to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The Kyrgyzstan leg of the visit will primarily centre on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where Prime Minister Modi is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders.
The visit underscores India’s continued commitment to regional cooperation through multilateral platforms.
India and Kyrgyzstan maintain close defence cooperation through several initiatives, including:
- Training of Kyrgyz military personnel in Indian defence institutions
- Joint military exercises
- Exchange programmes
- Collaborative research at the Kyrgyz-India Mountain Bio-Medical Research Centre (KIMBMRC) in Bishkek
India has also allocated 100 training slots for Kyrgyz citizens under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.
Prime Minister Modi previously visited Kyrgyzstan in 2015 and 2019.
The proposed visits reflect India’s growing engagement with Central Asia, a region of increasing geopolitical and economic importance.
Officials are expected to finalise the travel dates and detailed agenda in the coming days.
The visits are likely to strengthen cooperation in:
- Regional connectivity
- Energy security
- Trade and investment
- Defence collaboration
- Multilateral diplomacy
India views Central Asia as an important gateway connecting Asia and Europe, making stronger partnerships with countries such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan strategically significant.
