India, Uzbekistan to establish long-term uranium supply arrangement to strengthen energy security
ADVERTISEMENT
India and Uzbekistan will establish a long-term arrangement for uranium supplies, strengthening cooperation in the energy sector as New Delhi seeks to bolster its nuclear fuel security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement during delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on Sunday. The two leaders also discussed cooperation in areas including digitalisation, artificial intelligence, space, healthcare, mining and tourism.
A long-term arrangement for uranium supplies
During the delegation-level talks, Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev praised India’s strong economic growth and advances in digitalisation, information technology, artificial intelligence and space exploration. He also said India had emerged as a stronger voice in global affairs.
Modi announced that India and Uzbekistan would put in place a long-term arrangement for uranium supplies. The two countries will also formalise three sister-city and sister-state partnerships and prepare a roadmap to unlock the full potential of their bilateral ties.
The leaders also discussed cooperation on major development projects, including New Tashkent in Uzbekistan and GIFT City in Gujarat. Modi said India would welcome a delegation from Uzbekistan to study the best practices and technologies used in developing such projects.
Cooperation in geology, mineral resources
India and Uzbekistan also signed a series of agreements to expand cooperation across culture, healthcare, mining, tourism and diplomacy. These included an agreement to conserve and restore the ancient Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa in Termez, cooperation between the two countries’ national archives, and an MoU on Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.
The two sides also signed an agreement on cooperation in geology and mineral resources, a tourism partnership programme for 2026-28, and an MoU between India’s Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and Uzbekistan’s Diplomatic Academy to strengthen cooperation in diplomatic training.
PM recived Uzbekistan’s highest civilian award
During the visit, Modi also received Uzbekistan’s highest state civilian award, the “Oliy Darajali Dustlik” (friendship of the highest order), from President Mirziyoyev.
Remarkably, the new award is the 36th addition to PM Modi’s list of international honours from foreign countries.
Upon receiving the honour, Modi dedicated the award to the people of both nations. “Honoured to receive the ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order. I dedicate this to the enduring bond between India and Uzbekistan,” he said.
“It is a moment of great pride for me to be honoured with Uzbekistan’s highest award. You used a word, ‘Dostlik,’ with which the people of India are also very familiar. There is hardly a family in our country that does not use the word ‘Dost’ a hundred times a day, and today, you have truly embodied the essence of ‘Dostlik.’ ‘Dostlik’ means friendship,” PM said during his address.
An honour for all 1.4 billion Indians
Speaking to the Uzbekistani people, Modi said the word “Dostlik” perfectly encapsulates the core sentiment underlying the relationship between India and Uzbekistan.
“This honour is not for a single individual, it is an honour for all 1.4 billion Indians. On behalf of all my fellow citizens, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Uzbekistan, the government, and my friend, the respected President: PM Narendra Modi,” he said.