Indian Movies Very Popular in Uzbekistan: PM Narendra Modi

He released the dictionary along with his Uzbek counterpart and Prime Minster of Uzbekistan Indologist Rakhmatov in the event in presence of Hindi language students and Indian community members.

Dating back to the Soviet days, Delhi has traditionally shared warmer relations with these nations. There are over 3000 Indians in living in Uzbekistan.

“I sought his support for India joining the Ashgabat Agreement” – a transport corridor that would link Central Asia to the seaports in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. “Others, including India, still play only marginal roles in the region”.

We also discussed steps needed to implement the contract for supply of uranium from Uzbekistan signed earlier.

Mr Modi said India attached high importance to BRICS. Efforts to push the Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project have also been included in the program. The distinct taste of central Asia was evident in the menu.

While the PM Modi expressed confidence that it will further enhance ties with these countries, India Inc. on Sunday said the visit is expected to boost strategic and economic ties with the region. “The encouraging thing is we are beginning to see that”, Anandan added.

Meanwhile, India and the Eurasian Economic Union have set up a joint study group to explore the feasibility of a free-trade agreement for promoting bilateral trade and investments, India’s commerce ministry said in a statement here last week.

While Central Asia does not, geographically, factor into Modi’s famed “Act East” policy it seems he is nonetheless intent on giving the region a little more attention. As per an The Economic Times report, the PM, who will attend the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summits, will also visit the five central Asian countries. “It is egalitarian and inclusive”, Modi said during an online interaction with tech enthusiasts on how to make India a digitally-empowered knowledge economy.

“To me technology used wisely is a catalyst to magically transforming the way we live”. The five countries are part of the old “Silk Road”, the ancient trade route through which not only silks and spices were ferried but was also a pathway for exchange of ideas, art, architecture and spiritual beliefs, like Buddhism. “They look at India as a country that does not aspire for influence in the region and a relevant partner in fighting these problems emanating from Afghanistan”.

Secondly, he said the digital India initiative was about value addition, and it must enrich the lives of the people, and similarly, affordability was the third key.