Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, on Sunday (August 30) during his two-day visit to Uzbekistan. After his interaction with students, PM Modi shared highlights, stating that the Sunday visit was "interesting for quite a few reasons", including the "great passion towards studying about India", "immense work on Gandhi Ji's life" and "growing interest in Tamil culture". He also noted that students recited a few lines from poems written by him. During the interaction, PM Modi stated that hearing the students recite his poems was an emotional experience. "Poems written by me a very long time ago--today I had the opportunity to hear them recited by these young people. And I noticed that although they were speaking in Hindi, Hindi is not their native language, yet the emotions were expressed exactly as they were in my heart when I originally wrote them," he said. "This only becomes possible when you live that language, when you immerse yourself completely in it," PM Modi added. Amid the interaction, an Uzbek Indologist told PM Modi, "Perhaps you will not find many countries in the world where people love India as much as the people of Uzbekistan do. Every single one of our citizens knows the greeting 'Namaste'." The scholar also underscored interest in Indian arts, music, dance, philosophy and Yoga, adding, "To truly understand India, you must read the Ramayana and the Mahabharata."&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/walls-as-battleground-jadavpur-university-s-graffiti-war-turns-into-test-of-us-vs-them-1788154886283">Walls as battleground: Jadavpur University's graffiti war turns into test of ‘us vs them’</a><h3>PM Modi's floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Bishkek</h3>After a visit to Uzbekistan, PM Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for a two-day visit. On the first day of the visit, he interacted with the ‘Friends of India’ in Bishkek; four delegations working with India in multiple fields, including Yoga and Manas Academy, were present on the occasion. &nbsp;Later, Prime Minister Modi offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue located within the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Park in Bishkek. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings today with leaders from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations, including the Heads of State of Russia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. On the second and concluding day of his Kyrgyzstan visit tomorrow, PM Modi will deliver an address at the 26th SCO Summit. &nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue located within the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Park in Bishkek on Monday. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings today with leaders from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, on Sunday (August 30) during his two-day visit to Uzbekistan. After his interaction with students, PM Modi shared highlights, stating that the Sunday visit was "interesting for quite a few reasons", including the "great passion towards studying about India", "immense work on Gandhi Ji's life" and "growing interest in Tamil culture". He also noted that students recited a few lines from poems written by him. During the interaction, PM Modi stated that hearing the students recite his poems was an emotional experience. "Poems written by me a very long time ago--today I had the opportunity to hear them recited by these young people. And I noticed that although they were speaking in Hindi, Hindi is not their native language, yet the emotions were expressed exactly as they were in my heart when I originally wrote them," he said. "This only becomes possible when you live that language, when you immerse yourself completely in it," PM Modi added. Amid the interaction, an Uzbek Indologist told PM Modi, "Perhaps you will not find many countries in the world where people love India as much as the people of Uzbekistan do. Every single one of our citizens knows the greeting 'Namaste'." The scholar also underscored interest in Indian arts, music, dance, philosophy and Yoga, adding, "To truly understand India, you must read the Ramayana and the Mahabharata." Also read: Walls as battleground: Jadavpur University's graffiti war turns into test of ‘us vs them’ PM Modi's floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Bishkek After a visit to Uzbekistan, PM Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for a two-day visit. On the first day of the visit, he interacted with the ‘Friends of India’ in Bishkek; four delegations working with India in multiple fields, including Yoga and Manas Academy, were present on the occasion. Later, Prime Minister Modi offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue located within the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Park in Bishkek. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings today with leaders from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations, including the Heads of State of Russia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. On the second and concluding day of his Kyrgyzstan visit tomorrow, PM Modi will deliver an address at the 26th SCO Summit.

Prime Minister Modi offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue located within the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Park in Bishkek on Monday. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings today with leaders from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations.

PM Modi interacts with students in Tashkent, pays floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Bishkek ahead of SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. During his first day of visit on Sunday PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, with the two sides discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral ties.&nbsp;PM Modi hailed the strategic partnership between the two countries.&nbsp;"This year, our strategic partnership is turning 15 years. On this occasion, we decided to make our relationship a comprehensive strategic partnership," said PM Modi.&nbsp;"A stronger India-Uzbekistan will be a powerful force of peace, progress, and prosperity in Central Asia," Modi added.&nbsp;Both the sides discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy."&nbsp;<h2>Why PM Modi's visit is important?</h2>&nbsp;Central Asia has always been considered the backyard of Russia as nearly 20-30 per cent of its population speaks Russian. In addition, the region is widely considered to be extremely rich in mineral and natural resources. In terms of resources, Kazakhstan holds one of the largest uranium reserves in the world, along with coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in gold and hydro-power potential, while Turkmenistan possesses vast natural gas reserves. Tajikistan also has significant hydro-power capacity, and Uzbekistan is endowed with gold, uranium, and natural gas resources.&nbsp;Other than minerals, India's engagement with the Central Asian countries also includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs (Kazakhstan has uranium reserves and Turkmenistan is part of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline), old cultural links and future trade.

Both the sides also discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. During his first day of visit on Sunday PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, with the two sides discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. PM Modi hailed the strategic partnership between the two countries. "This year, our strategic partnership is turning 15 years. On this occasion, we decided to make our relationship a comprehensive strategic partnership," said PM Modi. "A stronger India-Uzbekistan will be a powerful force of peace, progress, and prosperity in Central Asia," Modi added. Both the sides discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy." Why PM Modi's visit is important? Central Asia has always been considered the backyard of Russia as nearly 20-30 per cent of its population speaks Russian. In addition, the region is widely considered to be extremely rich in mineral and natural resources. In terms of resources, Kazakhstan holds one of the largest uranium reserves in the world, along with coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in gold and hydro-power potential, while Turkmenistan possesses vast natural gas reserves. Tajikistan also has significant hydro-power capacity, and Uzbekistan is endowed with gold, uranium, and natural gas resources. Other than minerals, India's engagement with the Central Asian countries also includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs (Kazakhstan has uranium reserves and Turkmenistan is part of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline), old cultural links and future trade.

Both the sides also discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy."

Stronger India-Uzbekistan will be powerful force of peace: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic starting from August 29 to September 1, 2026. His four-day trip focused on strengthening India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, expanding economic and security cooperation, and advancing regional peace and stability. He will visit Uzbekistan from August 29 to 30 on a bilateral visit and later will join the Kyrgyz Republic for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit from August 31 to September 1. After framing the “Connect Central Asia” policy, India started its focused engagement with these five countries, which include Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan<h3>Why Central Asia matters for India?</h3>Central Asia has always been considered the backyard of Russia as nearly 20-30 per cent of its population speaks Russian. In addition, the region is widely considered to be extremely rich in mineral and natural resources. In terms of resources, Kazakhstan holds one of the largest uranium reserves in the world, along with coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in gold and hydro-power potential, while Turkmenistan possesses vast natural gas reserves. Tajikistan also has significant hydro-power capacity, and Uzbekistan is endowed with gold, uranium, and natural gas resources. Other than minerals, India's engagement with the Central Asian countries also includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs (Kazakhstan has uranium reserves and Turkmenistan is part of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline), old cultural links and future trade.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/order-of-oliy-darajali-dustlik-pm-modi-conferred-with-uzbekistan-s-highest-state-of-honour-1788081764729">Order of 'Oliy Darajali Dustlik': PM Modi conferred with Uzbekistan's highest state of honour</a> In addition, after China's major investments in the region with its Belt and Road initiative, India is attempting to avoid the post-Soviet space that could be captured by the Chinese. Therefore, India wants to connect the International North-South Corridor with the Chabahar port in Iran in order to access this resource-rich region. In a separate development, the Russia-Ukraine conflict might cause some local churn in Central Asian countries, as reports suggest that some Russians with the money and the skills, are moving to these Central Asian countries for the time being. With this inflow of skills, these regions may benefit along with funding into their local economies, but it may create some tension within the countries.<h3>Cultural links</h3>There has been a deep cultural and civilisational connection between India and Uzbekistan for centuries. The only Buddhist monastery known in Central Asia is in Kara Tepa, Termez, Uzbekistan. This was an important centre in the Kushana era, when the Buddhist influence had spread further to Central Asia. There are close to 3,000 shared words in Hindi and Uzbek. There are similarities in cuisine, like ghee-sariyok, samosa-samsa, naan-non and pulao-pilaf. India is also among the top 10 trading partners of Uzbekistan. The bilateral trade in 2025-26 stood close to $1 billion.

India's engagement with the Central Asian countries includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs, old cultural links and future trade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic starting from August 29 to September 1, 2026. His four-day trip focused on strengthening India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, expanding economic and security cooperation, and advancing regional peace and stability. He will visit Uzbekistan from August 29 to 30 on a bilateral visit and later will join the Kyrgyz Republic for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit from August 31 to September 1. After framing the “Connect Central Asia” policy, India started its focused engagement with these five countries, which include Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan Why Central Asia matters for India? Central Asia has always been considered the backyard of Russia as nearly 20-30 per cent of its population speaks Russian. In addition, the region is widely considered to be extremely rich in mineral and natural resources. In terms of resources, Kazakhstan holds one of the largest uranium reserves in the world, along with coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in gold and hydro-power potential, while Turkmenistan possesses vast natural gas reserves. Tajikistan also has significant hydro-power capacity, and Uzbekistan is endowed with gold, uranium, and natural gas resources. Other than minerals, India's engagement with the Central Asian countries also includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs (Kazakhstan has uranium reserves and Turkmenistan is part of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline), old cultural links and future trade. Also read: Order of 'Oliy Darajali Dustlik': PM Modi conferred with Uzbekistan's highest state of honour In addition, after China's major investments in the region with its Belt and Road initiative, India is attempting to avoid the post-Soviet space that could be captured by the Chinese. Therefore, India wants to connect the International North-South Corridor with the Chabahar port in Iran in order to access this resource-rich region. In a separate development, the Russia-Ukraine conflict might cause some local churn in Central Asian countries, as reports suggest that some Russians with the money and the skills, are moving to these Central Asian countries for the time being. With this inflow of skills, these regions may benefit along with funding into their local economies, but it may create some tension within the countries. Cultural links There has been a deep cultural and civilisational connection between India and Uzbekistan for centuries. The only Buddhist monastery known in Central Asia is in Kara Tepa, Termez, Uzbekistan. This was an important centre in the Kushana era, when the Buddhist influence had spread further to Central Asia. There are close to 3,000 shared words in Hindi and Uzbek. There are similarities in cuisine, like ghee-sariyok, samosa-samsa, naan-non and pulao-pilaf. India is also among the top 10 trading partners of Uzbekistan. The bilateral trade in 2025-26 stood close to $1 billion.

India's engagement with the Central Asian countries includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs, old cultural links and future trade.

Why is PM Modi in Uzbekistan before the SCO Summit? Key reasons explained