As per reports, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi might hold some more one-to-one talks with other key leaders from the member countries with particular focus on China and Pakistan.

Leaders of India, China, Pakistan to be under same roof for SCO meet

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 15 and 16. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's ambassador to India spoke to WION and stated that Iran's entry in SCO will expand its trade ties with the member states and this will change the geopolitics of the region.

SCO summit: Uzbekistan's Ambassador Dilshod Akhatov speaks to WION

WION's Siddhant Sibbal brings you a ground report from Gur-e-Amir, mausoleum of the 14th-century Mongol conqueror Timur in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and also tells you its significance.

Gur-e-Amir: Timur's mausoleum in Samarkand | WION ground report

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Uzbekistan on September 15 and 16 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit where he is expected to meet Russian Vladimir Putin.

Indian PM Narendra Modi likely to meet Russian Prez Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan's cultural capital Samarkand will be the first time both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be under the same roof since the Galwan Valley incident. But suspense remains if they will hold a bilateral meeting.

As of now, there is no confirmation over the face-to-face meeting between the Indian and the Chinese leadership at the Samarkand SCO summit.&nbsp;Any meeting will be significant given how ties have been faring, but a breakthrough looks less likely, especially in the wake of the 2020 Galwan Valley skirmish.&nbsp;

In 2020, China's&nbsp;aggressive action at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers.&nbsp;Beijing, after much delay, accepted that it lost four of its soldiers—a claim that remains doubtful given Beijing's track record on transparency.

While disengagement has taken place like the Hot Springs-Gogra area, China continues to violate the 1993 and 1996 pact as it amasses troops at the border areas.

From Delhi, the message has been clear as External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has several times said that the ties have been going through a "difficult phase".

Last month, Jaishankar said, "Much of the future of Asia depends on how relations between India and China develop in the foreseeable future. For ties to return to a positive trajectory and remain sustainable, they must be based on the three mutuals: mutual sensitivity, mutual respect, and mutual interest.”

He added, "Their current status is, of course, well known to all of you. I can only reiterate that the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship".

Since the Galwan incident, India has banned several Chinese apps in the country, increased scrutiny on Chinese investment and increased infrastructure development on the border.&nbsp;

But a week before the Samarkand SCO summit, India and China announced disengagement at Gogra-Hot Springs (also known as Patrolling Point 15) at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

In a brief joint statement, the two sides confirmed that the process had started and that it was an outcome of the 16th round of the India China Corps Commander Level Meeting that took place in July.

Notably, the disengagement process is reminiscent of the one that happened in 2017, when ahead of the China BRICS summit, disengagement on Doklam was agreed upon.

Before the Covid pandemic, both leaders met several times. In 2019, both met four times. First on the sidelines of the SCO Leaders’ Summit in Bishkek, which happened following the re-election of Prime Minister Modi, second was on the sidelines of the 14th G-20 Summit in Osaka, and the third time they met was at the 11th BRICS Summit in Brasilia on November 13, 2019. The famous second informal summit in Tamil Nadu's Mamallapuram was their fourth meet.

Before that, Prime Minister Modi visited China in September 2016 to participate in the G20 Summit in Hangzhou; In September 2017, he participated in the BRICS Summit in Xiamen; and in June 2018, he attended the SCO Summit in Qingdao.

Similarly, President Xi has also been a regular visitor to India. In October 2016, he participated in the BRICS Summit in Goa and in 2014, he went to PM Modi's home state of Gujarat.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that he will be meeting China's Xi in Uzbekistan.

What is interesting to be noted is that will be the first foreign visit of the Chinese president since the COVID-19 outbreak. His last visit abroad was to Myanmar in January 2020.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan's cultural capital Samarkand will be the first time both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be under the same roof since the Galwan Valley incident.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan's cultural capital Samarkand will be the first time both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be under the same roof since the Galwan Valley incident. But suspense remains if they will hold a bilateral meeting. As of now, there is no confirmation over the face-to-face meeting between the Indian and the Chinese leadership at the Samarkand SCO summit. Any meeting will be significant given how ties have been faring, but a breakthrough looks less likely, especially in the wake of the 2020 Galwan Valley skirmish. In 2020, China's aggressive action at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers. Beijing, after much delay, accepted that it lost four of its soldiers—a claim that remains doubtful given Beijing's track record on transparency. While disengagement has taken place like the Hot Springs-Gogra area, China continues to violate the 1993 and 1996 pact as it amasses troops at the border areas. From Delhi, the message has been clear as External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has several times said that the ties have been going through a "difficult phase". Last month, Jaishankar said, "Much of the future of Asia depends on how relations between India and China develop in the foreseeable future. For ties to return to a positive trajectory and remain sustainable, they must be based on the three mutuals: mutual sensitivity, mutual respect, and mutual interest.” He added, "Their current status is, of course, well known to all of you. I can only reiterate that the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship". Since the Galwan incident, India has banned several Chinese apps in the country, increased scrutiny on Chinese investment and increased infrastructure development on the border. But a week before the Samarkand SCO summit, India and China announced disengagement at Gogra-Hot Springs (also known as Patrolling Point 15) at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. In a brief joint statement, the two sides confirmed that the process had started and that it was an outcome of the 16th round of the India China Corps Commander Level Meeting that took place in July. Notably, the disengagement process is reminiscent of the one that happened in 2017, when ahead of the China BRICS summit, disengagement on Doklam was agreed upon. Before the Covid pandemic, both leaders met several times. In 2019, both met four times. First on the sidelines of the SCO Leaders’ Summit in Bishkek, which happened following the re-election of Prime Minister Modi, second was on the sidelines of the 14th G-20 Summit in Osaka, and the third time they met was at the 11th BRICS Summit in Brasilia on November 13, 2019. The famous second informal summit in Tamil Nadu's Mamallapuram was their fourth meet. Before that, Prime Minister Modi visited China in September 2016 to participate in the G20 Summit in Hangzhou; In September 2017, he participated in the BRICS Summit in Xiamen; and in June 2018, he attended the SCO Summit in Qingdao. Similarly, President Xi has also been a regular visitor to India. In October 2016, he participated in the BRICS Summit in Goa and in 2014, he went to PM Modi's home state of Gujarat. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that he will be meeting China's Xi in Uzbekistan. What is interesting to be noted is that will be the first foreign visit of the Chinese president since the COVID-19 outbreak. His last visit abroad was to Myanmar in January 2020.

Suspense remains on bilateral meeting between India's Modi and China's Xi on sidelines of SCO

With Samarkand all set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit later this week, Indian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat has said that "India accords a lot of importance to the SCO". The fact that PM himself is travelling to take part in the summit is testimony to the fact, he said.

Samarkand will host the summit on 15&nbsp;and&nbsp;16&nbsp;September. Speaking exclusively to WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal in Tashkent, Ambassador Prabhat also talked about India-Uzbekistan ties, with connectivity, trade and&nbsp;people-to-people relationships being the key focus. He said, "Uzbekistan is very supportive of the Chabahar initiative and we know that it was Uzbekistan’s initiative when we discussed Chabahar Port with them that they brought together India, Iran, and Uzbekistan to sit together that have a trilateral dialogue about Chabahar." Full interview as transcribed by Veer Vikram Mukherjee is below.&nbsp;

WION: What will be the key focus of the PM's visit to Uzbekistan in terms of his participation in the SCO Summit and how important is this Summit for India?

Manish Prabhat: As you know India is among the newest members of the SCO but in this short time India has contributed very constructively to the agenda of the SCO, we are talking of many issues - Economic Cooperation, Diplomacy related to Covid, how to meet common challenges, Terrorism etc but given all this Of course the SCO summit which is happening in Samarkand what would be the agenda and what leaders would talk about themselves, of course, it is their prerogative and will have to wait for the summit outcome that what is going to happen. But of course, India accords a lot of importance to the SCO and as you know that India is also the incoming chair of SCO so obviously the summit is very important for us and PM coming himself for the summit on 15th and 16th September is the testimony of the fact that India is attaching importance to the SCO.&nbsp;

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WION: Importance to SCO but also important to Uzbekistan because this is not the first time that PM is visiting Uzbekistan so how important is this bilateral relationship between the two countries?

Manish Prabhat:&nbsp;India and Uzbekistan have their historical relations going back to many centuries even more than 2000 years ago but of course, in modern times our relationship has really flourished, you know Uzbekistan and India both are strategic partners and you know within this framework of strategic partnership we would like to expand and strengthen our relationship in various fields - political consultations, economy, trade and investment, defence, security similarly culture, education, all are very important. And if you remember that PM Shri Narendra Modi visited all FIVE&nbsp;Central Asian countries in the year 2015, that itself was a sign that India was giving a big push to this relationship and giving a high priority to its relationship with Central Asia. Since then, this relationship has really flourished you know. And the fact that we had foreign ministerial dialogue instituted in Samarkand, the first one happened in January 2019, India-Central Asia Dialogue and then the India-Central Asia Summit which happened this year in January, shows that how close India and Central Asian countries are taking steps together.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WION:&nbsp; Once to keep focus area between the relationships has been connectivity, Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country and very keen to use connectivity projects including Chabahar so how there has been a focus on connectivity between the two countries?

Manish Prabhat:&nbsp;For the landlocked Central Asia of course the connectivity is a big challenge and of course, since there is no direct connectivity, or surface connectivity, India and Central Asia which is very active these days, India has come up with a solution in the form of the Chabahar Port and as you know a part of the Chabahar Port is operated by an Indian Company and India has really pitched to all our Central Asian partners that Chabahar Port can be the key and the focus which would really establish the connectivity between India and Central Asia. And of course, this makes sense because the root is if all infrastructure is developed it really would cut down on time and other kinds of cost, it would be economical and Central Asia, the countries would also like connectivity to the outside world. So, all the countries have agreed that we should work together for connectivity and in fact, Uzbekistan is very supportive of the Chabahar initiative and we know that it was Uzbekistan’s initiative when we discussed Chabahar Port with them that they brought together India, Iran, Uzbekistan to sit together that have a trilateral dialogue about Chabahar. So, this initiative would go further, and this dialogue will expand. Similarly, India is a member of the International North-South Transport Corridor and we have also requested Uzbekistan to become a member of the INSTC Uzbeks are very positive about it. So, we hope that in the coming future connectivity initiative would develop to the mutual benefit of India and the central Asian countries.&nbsp;

WION: How can the trade relationships be taken forward and the benefits of trade will lead to a people-to-people relationship between the two countries, India and Uzbekistan? If you can talk about that?

Manish Prabhat:&nbsp;The people-to-people relationship has always been strong between India and Central Asia and India and Uzbekistan. That goodwill is there based on which more trade can happen. As you know that Indian Pharmaceutical exports to CIS send in this part of the world have traditionally been strong, of course, there is scope for much more. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of pharma exports from India also happened. But we need to identify new commodities of trade between India and Central Asia. Similarly, Uzbekistan is a big exporter of fruits and vegetables, and you know in the agriculture sector also India and Uzbekistan have identified agricultural products which can be exported and imported. Uzbekistan is also a great country rich in mineral resources. So, we identify those minerals which can come to India. Possibilities are endless. We need to develop trade connectivity, the surface connectivity, we can discuss how to put in place mechanisms which would promote trade. And we already have mechanisms like the inter-governmental commission meetings and other kinds of joint working groups. So, efforts are happening in this direction, and I think that we have set a target for our two countries to reach a trade turnover of 1 billion dollars of bilateral trade every year. We are not yet there but work is going in this direction. And the trading connectivity and the strength of investments etc would draw people you know, we become more connected to each other.&nbsp;

WION: But if you can shed some light on the people-to-people relationship India sees Central Asia and especially Uzbekistan as part of its extended neighbourhood and we know that many monuments have a resemblance between the two countries.

Manish Prabhat:&nbsp;Of course,&nbsp;there is a rich past about that, so much has taken place in history. In contemporary relationships look what is India’s image in Central Asia and Uzbekistan. India is a big economy, it has a large population, it has managed things with its youth very well, we have created a big IT ecosystem, and start-ups are doing very well. India is a role model to learn how to digitise various services in the country, and how to learn IT and communication services. And so, Uzbekistan and the Central Asian countries would like to really learn from India more. You know today Uzbekistan has invited Indian Universities to come and open campuses in Uzbekistan. Already 3 Indian Universities are working in Uzbekistan and students are attending their classes. More university-to-university cooperation is going to happen. The Indian cultural centre, which is in Uzbekistan and the Indian Embassy, has opened 13 Indian study centres in the universities of Uzbekistan, so there are 13 universities already connected through Indian study centres. Similarly in the field of cultural outreach, our Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture is really doing good work. Yoga is really becoming very popular in Uzbekistan. 2 trained expert Indian teachers of Yoga have been sent from the Indian council for cultural relations to work in Uzbekistan. This year the international day of yoga was celebrated on a very large scale in many cities of Uzbekistan. So, these you know canvas of cultural cooperation is really expanding. As I said the people of Uzbekistan really look forward to it, they really love Indian films. Tashkent International Film festival has been revived. Indian stars are coming, and Indian movies are being shot here. So, a lot of things are happening. Also, India is also a great destination for medical tourism, and we see a lot of Uzbek medical patients. They come to Indian doctors, and hospitals for the quality of care we can provide to them and for the affordability of that. So, you know a lot of potential exists in these directions, in services and both India and Uzbekistan are working to realize that potential.&nbsp;

WION If I am correct India is also helping in IT capacity building of Uzbekistan, we have some projects, India has strongly supported. I remember the visits of ministers inaugurating various IT parks here.

Manish Prabhat:&nbsp;You would be happy to know that the first IT Park in Uzbekistan was first inaugurated in 2019 with the help of technical guidance of an Indian expert who was sent from the software technology parks in India. Since then that resident expert has gone on and you know he has developed more IT Parks in Uzbekistan. We have very close cooperation in the field of IT, we are training Uzbek candidates in the field of IT. Similarly, we also operate an entrepreneurship development centre in Uzbekistan which is opened by MEA, and we have a resident director and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of Ahmedabad is providing that technical consultancy to develop entrepreneurship. So, you can see that our outreach is not only IT per se but also entrepreneurship how do you mix the two and how do you engage with the youth of Uzbekistan, you know how India has done a lot in the field of start-ups in the framework of SCO and bilaterally also. So, we have come up with comprehensive planning that how to engage with the youth of Uzbekistan, train them in new kinds of skills and grow the relationship between India and Uzbekistan.

Watch WION's live TV here:

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With Samarkand all set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit later this week, Indian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat has said that "India accords a lot of importance to the SCO".

With Samarkand all set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit later this week, Indian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat has said that "India accords a lot of importance to the SCO". The fact that PM himself is travelling to take part in the summit is testimony to the fact, he said. Samarkand will host the summit on 15 and 16 September. Speaking exclusively to WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal in Tashkent, Ambassador Prabhat also talked about India-Uzbekistan ties, with connectivity, trade and people-to-people relationships being the key focus. He said, "Uzbekistan is very supportive of the Chabahar initiative and we know that it was Uzbekistan’s initiative when we discussed Chabahar Port with them that they brought together India, Iran, and Uzbekistan to sit together that have a trilateral dialogue about Chabahar." Full interview as transcribed by Veer Vikram Mukherjee is below. WION: What will be the key focus of the PM's visit to Uzbekistan in terms of his participation in the SCO Summit and how important is this Summit for India? Manish Prabhat: As you know India is among the newest members of the SCO but in this short time India has contributed very constructively to the agenda of the SCO, we are talking of many issues - Economic Cooperation, Diplomacy related to Covid, how to meet common challenges, Terrorism etc but given all this Of course the SCO summit which is happening in Samarkand what would be the agenda and what leaders would talk about themselves, of course, it is their prerogative and will have to wait for the summit outcome that what is going to happen. But of course, India accords a lot of importance to the SCO and as you know that India is also the incoming chair of SCO so obviously the summit is very important for us and PM coming himself for the summit on 15th and 16th September is the testimony of the fact that India is attaching importance to the SCO. × WION: Importance to SCO but also important to Uzbekistan because this is not the first time that PM is visiting Uzbekistan so how important is this bilateral relationship between the two countries? Manish Prabhat: India and Uzbekistan have their historical relations going back to many centuries even more than 2000 years ago but of course, in modern times our relationship has really flourished, you know Uzbekistan and India both are strategic partners and you know within this framework of strategic partnership we would like to expand and strengthen our relationship in various fields - political consultations, economy, trade and investment, defence, security similarly culture, education, all are very important. And if you remember that PM Shri Narendra Modi visited all FIVE Central Asian countries in the year 2015, that itself was a sign that India was giving a big push to this relationship and giving a high priority to its relationship with Central Asia. Since then, this relationship has really flourished you know. And the fact that we had foreign ministerial dialogue instituted in Samarkand, the first one happened in January 2019, India-Central Asia Dialogue and then the India-Central Asia Summit which happened this year in January, shows that how close India and Central Asian countries are taking steps together. WION: Once to keep focus area between the relationships has been connectivity, Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country and very keen to use connectivity projects including Chabahar so how there has been a focus on connectivity between the two countries? Manish Prabhat: For the landlocked Central Asia of course the connectivity is a big challenge and of course, since there is no direct connectivity, or surface connectivity, India and Central Asia which is very active these days, India has come up with a solution in the form of the Chabahar Port and as you know a part of the Chabahar Port is operated by an Indian Company and India has really pitched to all our Central Asian partners that Chabahar Port can be the key and the focus which would really establish the connectivity between India and Central Asia. And of course, this makes sense because the root is if all infrastructure is developed it really would cut down on time and other kinds of cost, it would be economical and Central Asia, the countries would also like connectivity to the outside world. So, all the countries have agreed that we should work together for connectivity and in fact, Uzbekistan is very supportive of the Chabahar initiative and we know that it was Uzbekistan’s initiative when we discussed Chabahar Port with them that they brought together India, Iran, Uzbekistan to sit together that have a trilateral dialogue about Chabahar. So, this initiative would go further, and this dialogue will expand. Similarly, India is a member of the International North-South Transport Corridor and we have also requested Uzbekistan to become a member of the INSTC Uzbeks are very positive about it. So, we hope that in the coming future connectivity initiative would develop to the mutual benefit of India and the central Asian countries. WION: How can the trade relationships be taken forward and the benefits of trade will lead to a people-to-people relationship between the two countries, India and Uzbekistan? If you can talk about that? Manish Prabhat: The people-to-people relationship has always been strong between India and Central Asia and India and Uzbekistan. That goodwill is there based on which more trade can happen. As you know that Indian Pharmaceutical exports to CIS send in this part of the world have traditionally been strong, of course, there is scope for much more. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of pharma exports from India also happened. But we need to identify new commodities of trade between India and Central Asia. Similarly, Uzbekistan is a big exporter of fruits and vegetables, and you know in the agriculture sector also India and Uzbekistan have identified agricultural products which can be exported and imported. Uzbekistan is also a great country rich in mineral resources. So, we identify those minerals which can come to India. Possibilities are endless. We need to develop trade connectivity, the surface connectivity, we can discuss how to put in place mechanisms which would promote trade. And we already have mechanisms like the inter-governmental commission meetings and other kinds of joint working groups. So, efforts are happening in this direction, and I think that we have set a target for our two countries to reach a trade turnover of 1 billion dollars of bilateral trade every year. We are not yet there but work is going in this direction. And the trading connectivity and the strength of investments etc would draw people you know, we become more connected to each other. WION: But if you can shed some light on the people-to-people relationship India sees Central Asia and especially Uzbekistan as part of its extended neighbourhood and we know that many monuments have a resemblance between the two countries. Manish Prabhat: Of course, there is a rich past about that, so much has taken place in history. In contemporary relationships look what is India’s image in Central Asia and Uzbekistan. India is a big economy, it has a large population, it has managed things with its youth very well, we have created a big IT ecosystem, and start-ups are doing very well. India is a role model to learn how to digitise various services in the country, and how to learn IT and communication services. And so, Uzbekistan and the Central Asian countries would like to really learn from India more. You know today Uzbekistan has invited Indian Universities to come and open campuses in Uzbekistan. Already 3 Indian Universities are working in Uzbekistan and students are attending their classes. More university-to-university cooperation is going to happen. The Indian cultural centre, which is in Uzbekistan and the Indian Embassy, has opened 13 Indian study centres in the universities of Uzbekistan, so there are 13 universities already connected through Indian study centres. Similarly in the field of cultural outreach, our Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture is really doing good work. Yoga is really becoming very popular in Uzbekistan. 2 trained expert Indian teachers of Yoga have been sent from the Indian council for cultural relations to work in Uzbekistan. This year the international day of yoga was celebrated on a very large scale in many cities of Uzbekistan. So, these you know canvas of cultural cooperation is really expanding. As I said the people of Uzbekistan really look forward to it, they really love Indian films. Tashkent International Film festival has been revived. Indian stars are coming, and Indian movies are being shot here. So, a lot of things are happening. Also, India is also a great destination for medical tourism, and we see a lot of Uzbek medical patients. They come to Indian doctors, and hospitals for the quality of care we can provide to them and for the affordability of that. So, you know a lot of potential exists in these directions, in services and both India and Uzbekistan are working to realize that potential. WION If I am correct India is also helping in IT capacity building of Uzbekistan, we have some projects, India has strongly supported. I remember the visits of ministers inaugurating various IT parks here. Manish Prabhat: You would be happy to know that the first IT Park in Uzbekistan was first inaugurated in 2019 with the help of technical guidance of an Indian expert who was sent from the software technology parks in India. Since then that resident expert has gone on and you know he has developed more IT Parks in Uzbekistan. We have very close cooperation in the field of IT, we are training Uzbek candidates in the field of IT. Similarly, we also operate an entrepreneurship development centre in Uzbekistan which is opened by MEA, and we have a resident director and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of Ahmedabad is providing that technical consultancy to develop entrepreneurship. So, you can see that our outreach is not only IT per se but also entrepreneurship how do you mix the two and how do you engage with the youth of Uzbekistan, you know how India has done a lot in the field of start-ups in the framework of SCO and bilaterally also. So, we have come up with comprehensive planning that how to engage with the youth of Uzbekistan, train them in new kinds of skills and grow the relationship between India and Uzbekistan. Watch WION's live TV here: ×

India attaches importance to SCO, says Indian envoy to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat

Uzbekistan's cultural capital Samarkand is all set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO Summit due to be held on September 15 and 16. The city has been spruced up to host 15 world leaders including PM Modi, Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Uzbekistan is hosting the SCO Summit for the fouth time, but it is being hosted in the city of Samarkand for the first time. Previously, Uzbekistan hosted the summit in 2004, 2010 and 2016.

The city has got a new airport which is been seen as a synthesis of the past and present and is shaped like an “open book” symbolizing the main work of Mirzo Ulugbek “Zizhijadidi Kuragoniy” or the "New Astronomical Table of Kuragoni”. The building is 175 metres wide and 25 metres high. Constellations are depicted on its roof.

The airport can handle 800 people per hour and upto 120 flights per week. Equipped with modern technologies, luggage check-in it firmly puts ancient city of Samarkand on the world tourist map.

Ulugbek, was the grandson of Timur and oldest son of Shah Rukh. The Timurid Sultan was well known as an astronomer and mathematician and was notable for trigonometry. His observatory in Samarkand, built in 1449, can accurately measure the Sun from the horizon, the altitude of a star and other planets with phenomenal accuracy.

To make the city more tourist friendly, Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Center has been built to welcome SCO guests as it plans to host many events during the summit. The main construction occupies 135 hectares. A Congress Hall has been created where meetings of the SCO leaders will be held and is located on the two banks of the famous Samarkand Rowing Canal. Its area is 2800 square metres, and the area of the main hall, where the meetings of the SCO leaders will be held, is 65x65 m, and its height is 14 metres.&nbsp;

For incoming guests, 8 international-level hotels, with a total of about 1,200 rooms have opened their doors. Two of them correspond to the 5-star category, and one of them – “Samarkand Regency Amir Temur” - is the first and so far the only hotel in Central Asia, which is included in the Leading Hotels of the World association. &nbsp;

Another local attraction, Samarkand Rowing Canal has been built. The canal is 2,180 metres long and over 150 metres wide. Remember Uzbekistan will host the Asian Youth Olympic Games in 2025, and the rowing tournaments will be held in Samarkand.&nbsp;

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Uzbekistan's cultural capital Samarkand is all set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO Summit due to be held on September 15 and 16. The city has been spruced up to host 15 world leaders including PM Modi, Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Uzbekistan's cultural capital Samarkand is all set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO Summit due to be held on September 15 and 16. The city has been spruced up to host 15 world leaders including PM Modi, Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Uzbekistan is hosting the SCO Summit for the fouth time, but it is being hosted in the city of Samarkand for the first time. Previously, Uzbekistan hosted the summit in 2004, 2010 and 2016. The city has got a new airport which is been seen as a synthesis of the past and present and is shaped like an “open book” symbolizing the main work of Mirzo Ulugbek “Zizhijadidi Kuragoniy” or the "New Astronomical Table of Kuragoni”. The building is 175 metres wide and 25 metres high. Constellations are depicted on its roof. The airport can handle 800 people per hour and upto 120 flights per week. Equipped with modern technologies, luggage check-in it firmly puts ancient city of Samarkand on the world tourist map. Ulugbek, was the grandson of Timur and oldest son of Shah Rukh. The Timurid Sultan was well known as an astronomer and mathematician and was notable for trigonometry. His observatory in Samarkand, built in 1449, can accurately measure the Sun from the horizon, the altitude of a star and other planets with phenomenal accuracy. To make the city more tourist friendly, Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Center has been built to welcome SCO guests as it plans to host many events during the summit. The main construction occupies 135 hectares. A Congress Hall has been created where meetings of the SCO leaders will be held and is located on the two banks of the famous Samarkand Rowing Canal. Its area is 2800 square metres, and the area of the main hall, where the meetings of the SCO leaders will be held, is 65x65 m, and its height is 14 metres. For incoming guests, 8 international-level hotels, with a total of about 1,200 rooms have opened their doors. Two of them correspond to the 5-star category, and one of them – “Samarkand Regency Amir Temur” - is the first and so far the only hotel in Central Asia, which is included in the Leading Hotels of the World association. Another local attraction, Samarkand Rowing Canal has been built. The canal is 2,180 metres long and over 150 metres wide. Remember Uzbekistan will host the Asian Youth Olympic Games in 2025, and the rowing tournaments will be held in Samarkand. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Samarkand gets ready to host SCO leaders

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit is all set to take in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 15th and 16th. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of China Xi Jinping and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif will all be under the same roof.

SCO Summit 2022: Leaders of India , China, Pakistan, Russia under same roof

Relations between India and Uzbekistan go back in history. Uzbekistan has had a civilization deeply connected with India. Diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Tashkent progressed well over the years. India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri breathed his last in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan & India's shared past: Death of former Indian PM Shastri

All eyes are on this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Samarkand summit is scheduled for 15 and 16 September 2022. As the eight-member grouping is all set to expand, the heads of member states are going to consider Iran's membership bid, by granting it a member status.

WION Dispatch | 22nd SCO meet to be held in Uzbekistan; Iran's membership bid on cards

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will come under one roof for the first time since 2020 Galwan clashes for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet at Uzbekistan on 15-16 September. Indian and Chinese troops have also completed the disengagement process in the Gogra-Hot Springs area along the LAC.

SCO Summit 2022: Shanghai cooperation organization meets amid stoked tensions

Leaders of 15 nations will assemble in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit for two days that is scheduled to begin on September 15.

This year’s summit will be the first in-person meet after the Covid pandemic hit the world. The last summit was held in June 2019 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

What is SCO?

The SCO is primarily a geopolitical and security organisation with limited infrastructures to pursue economic integration. The group accounts for about one-third of the world’s land and exports trillions of dollars annually.

It is governed by consensus, which limits the scope of major cooperation between its member states.

It also functions more as a venue for discussion and engagement where high-level dignitaries from across the region can gather to confer, rather than an alliance like the EU, whose members have a common currency, or NATO.

The SCO was founded in June 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China.

The genesis of the grouping can be traced back to the post-soviet era in 1996 when these countries, termed ‘Shanghai Five’, came together

Earlier, it focused on regional security to work on regional security, reduction of border troops, and terrorism.

Its particular focus has been on “conflict resolution”, which provided early successes between China and Russia, and then within the Central Asian Republics.

Structure of SCO

The organisation has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years.

But the venue of the SCO council meetings shifts between the eight members (including India and Pakistan).

Members of SCO

Apart from the above mentioned countries— Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China— India and Pakistan are also members of this organisation, both included in 2017.

The SCO also has three observer states — Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia — which may be inducted at a later date. And&nbsp;“Dialogue Partners” —Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey Egypt, Qatar as well as Saudi Arabia.

New member Iran

The membership of Iran, which was also among the observer states, was approved last year by the bloc’s permanent members.

Iran’s previous bids for SCO membership were blocked because it was under United Nations sanctions, and some members, including Tajikistan, were against it due to Tehran’s perceived support for the Islamic Movement of Tajikistan.

Main goals

The main goals of the SCO, as adopted in its Charter in St. Petersburg in 2002, is: “strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states; promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas; making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.”

Agenda of this year’s summit

According to the press release of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation in the future.

Topical issues of regional and global importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting.

SCO presidency

Uzbekistan took over the chairmanship of the organisation from Tajikistan on September 17, 2021.&nbsp;

After the 2022 summit, the presidency of the SCO will be handed over to India for the next year till September 2023. New Delhi will most likely host the next&nbsp;SCO summit.

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Leaders of 15 nations will assemble in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit for two days that is scheduled to begin on September 15.

Leaders of 15 nations will assemble in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit for two days that is scheduled to begin on September 15. This year’s summit will be the first in-person meet after the Covid pandemic hit the world. The last summit was held in June 2019 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. What is SCO? The SCO is primarily a geopolitical and security organisation with limited infrastructures to pursue economic integration. The group accounts for about one-third of the world’s land and exports trillions of dollars annually. It is governed by consensus, which limits the scope of major cooperation between its member states. It also functions more as a venue for discussion and engagement where high-level dignitaries from across the region can gather to confer, rather than an alliance like the EU, whose members have a common currency, or NATO. The SCO was founded in June 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China. The genesis of the grouping can be traced back to the post-soviet era in 1996 when these countries, termed ‘Shanghai Five’, came together Earlier, it focused on regional security to work on regional security, reduction of border troops, and terrorism. Its particular focus has been on “conflict resolution”, which provided early successes between China and Russia, and then within the Central Asian Republics. Structure of SCO The organisation has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent. The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years. But the venue of the SCO council meetings shifts between the eight members (including India and Pakistan). Members of SCO Apart from the above mentioned countries— Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China— India and Pakistan are also members of this organisation, both included in 2017. The SCO also has three observer states — Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia — which may be inducted at a later date. And “Dialogue Partners” —Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey Egypt, Qatar as well as Saudi Arabia. New member Iran The membership of Iran, which was also among the observer states, was approved last year by the bloc’s permanent members. Iran’s previous bids for SCO membership were blocked because it was under United Nations sanctions, and some members, including Tajikistan, were against it due to Tehran’s perceived support for the Islamic Movement of Tajikistan. Main goals The main goals of the SCO, as adopted in its Charter in St. Petersburg in 2002, is: “strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states; promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas; making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.” Agenda of this year’s summit According to the press release of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation in the future. Topical issues of regional and global importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting. SCO presidency Uzbekistan took over the chairmanship of the organisation from Tajikistan on September 17, 2021. After the 2022 summit, the presidency of the SCO will be handed over to India for the next year till September 2023. New Delhi will most likely host the next SCO summit. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and what can be expected from this year's summit?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan next week. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since Ukraine's invasion. What will the two discuss? What should we expect? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: Xi Jinping to meet Vladimir Putin next week

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attends the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. During this, Mr. Singh held bilateral meetings with the Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov. He also met with the Defence Ministers of member countries of SCO.

WION Dispatch: Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh attends SCO meet in Tashkent

The 44th chess Olympiad came to an end on Monday in Chennai, the two week long event was held in India for the first time ever and saw a record number of teams take part. Uzbekistan were crowned champions in the open section while hosts India finished with bronze.

44th Chess Olympiad: Uzbekistan win Gold in open category

The formal meet of the foreign ministers of the SCO grouping is currently underway in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent. Russian foreign minister said, SCO has agreed to trade in local currencies.

WION Dispatch: 'SCO has agreed to trade in local currencies,' says Russian FM

It is the second day of the foreign ministerial concave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the formal meet of the foreign ministers of the SCO grouping is currently underway in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent.

'SCO members must fight against new World threats,' says Indian FM

SCO Summit 2022: Indian, Kazakh foreign ministers hold dialogue

Uzbekistan: SCO FMs meeting currently underway in Tashkent

India on Monday was joined by more than 20 countries in deliberating on the overall situation in Afghanistan on the opening day of a two-day conference hosted by Uzbekistan at its capital city Tashkent. WION's principal correspondent Siddhant Sibbal gets you more on this.

India attends Uzbekistan-hosted conference on Afghanistan situation

Uzbekistan's deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev will visit India this week and will hold regular session of the Intergovernmental Commission meeting with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. Both Minister Goyal and his counterpart Khodjaev are the co-chairs of the joint commission meet. Uzbekistan's key focus will be on agriculture, innovation, connectivity, science and technology, textiles and leather.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/missiles-destroyed-ukrainian-military-infrastructure-in-odessa-claims-russia-500218">Missiles destroyed Ukrainian military infrastructure in Odessa, claims Russia</a>

The visit of Jamshid&nbsp;Khodjaev is the 2nd&nbsp;high level visit from Uzbekistan to India this month. Earlier this month Uzbekistan's deputy foreign minister Furkat Sidikov visited India and held talks with minister of state in Ministry of external affairs&nbsp;Meenakshi Lekhi. Key focus of Sidikov's visit was to brief the Indian side on the constitutional reforms announced in the country.&nbsp;

The reforms had led to backlash in&nbsp;Karakalpakstan region over fears of autonomy being taken away, a plan that has been shelved now.&nbsp;Earlier Uzbek DPM Sardor Umurzakov was expected to visit India and hold joint commission meet but he was shifted last week to become the Head of the Presidential Administration.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-dead-in-shooting-at-philippines-university-graduation-ceremony-suspect-in-custody-500265">Three dead in shooting at Philippines university graduation ceremony</a>

Both countries have set a bilateral trade target if USD 1 billion but lack of connectivity has been a key issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;Chabahar port is expected to bridge the gap between the 2 countries. Remember Uzbekistan, along with India and Iran have been part of trilateral working group for the joint use of the Chabahar port. The Shahid Behesti Terminal, Chabahar Port has handled shipments and trans-shipments from various countries including Russia, Brazil, Thailand, Germany, Ukraine, Oman, Romania, Bangladesh, Australia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and UAE.&nbsp;

Indian company India Ports Global Limited through its subsidiary India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), took over the operations of the Chabahar Port in December of 2018. Since then, port has handled 3.2 million tons of bulk and general cargo according to a 2021 data.

Bilateral trade between the 2 countries stands at about USD 442 million as per Uzbek statistics.&nbsp;India and Uzbekistan plan to set up a joint feasibility study for entering into negotiations for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). This will see lot of visits from India to Uzbekistan as the country is the chair of the Shanghai cooperation organisation or SCO. This week External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be in the country for the SCO Foreign ministers meet, August will see visit of Indian Defence minister Rajnath Singh to country followed by the summit level meet in September where PM Modi will be present.&nbsp;

Uzbekistan's deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev will visit India this week and will hold regular session of the Intergovernmental Commission meeting with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal.

Uzbekistan's deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev will visit India this week and will hold regular session of the Intergovernmental Commission meeting with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. Both Minister Goyal and his counterpart Khodjaev are the co-chairs of the joint commission meet. Uzbekistan's key focus will be on agriculture, innovation, connectivity, science and technology, textiles and leather. Also read | Missiles destroyed Ukrainian military infrastructure in Odessa, claims Russia The visit of Jamshid Khodjaev is the 2nd high level visit from Uzbekistan to India this month. Earlier this month Uzbekistan's deputy foreign minister Furkat Sidikov visited India and held talks with minister of state in Ministry of external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi. Key focus of Sidikov's visit was to brief the Indian side on the constitutional reforms announced in the country. The reforms had led to backlash in Karakalpakstan region over fears of autonomy being taken away, a plan that has been shelved now. Earlier Uzbek DPM Sardor Umurzakov was expected to visit India and hold joint commission meet but he was shifted last week to become the Head of the Presidential Administration. Also read | Three dead in shooting at Philippines university graduation ceremony Both countries have set a bilateral trade target if USD 1 billion but lack of connectivity has been a key issue. Chabahar port is expected to bridge the gap between the 2 countries. Remember Uzbekistan, along with India and Iran have been part of trilateral working group for the joint use of the Chabahar port. The Shahid Behesti Terminal, Chabahar Port has handled shipments and trans-shipments from various countries including Russia, Brazil, Thailand, Germany, Ukraine, Oman, Romania, Bangladesh, Australia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and UAE. Indian company India Ports Global Limited through its subsidiary India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), took over the operations of the Chabahar Port in December of 2018. Since then, port has handled 3.2 million tons of bulk and general cargo according to a 2021 data. Bilateral trade between the 2 countries stands at about USD 442 million as per Uzbek statistics. India and Uzbekistan plan to set up a joint feasibility study for entering into negotiations for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). This will see lot of visits from India to Uzbekistan as the country is the chair of the Shanghai cooperation organisation or SCO. This week External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be in the country for the SCO Foreign ministers meet, August will see visit of Indian Defence minister Rajnath Singh to country followed by the summit level meet in September where PM Modi will be present.

Uzbek Deputy PM Khodjaev to visit India this week

India is due to attend two key meetings next week, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO foreign ministers meet and an international conference on Afghanistan in Uzbekistan. While the conference on Afghanistan will take place on 25th and 26th July at the level of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, the foreign minister meeting will take place on 28th and 29th July. Taliban will also take part in what is officially known as International Conference "Afghanistan: security and economic development".

The meet is expected to see participation of delegations from more than 20 countries and international organisations. Uzbekistan, a country that shares land border with Afghanistan has in the past hosted key meetings on Afghanistan, one in 2018 and another in 2021. The 2021 meeting, which focused on regional connectivity between South and Central Asia, saw participation of the then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be attending the SCO foreign ministers' meet. SCO is more than a two-decade-old grouping that includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan and 4 central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is the chair of the grouping for this year and holds all major events. Next month, Uzbekistan will hold SCO interior and defense ministers meet. In September, the country will be holding the summit level meeting in which all the leaders are expected to be present in person, including Indian PM Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping.

On the sidelines of the foreign and the summit level meetings, number of bilaterals are expected and no official confirmation has been given so far on any meetings between India and China or India and Pakistan. The summit level meeting will be important for India as the chairmanship of the grouping is handed over to New Delhi, which means it will be holding all key meetings of the grouping for next one year.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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India is due to attend two key meetings next week, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO foreign ministers meet and an international conference on Afghanistan in Uzbekistan.

India is due to attend two key meetings next week, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO foreign ministers meet and an international conference on Afghanistan in Uzbekistan. While the conference on Afghanistan will take place on 25th and 26th July at the level of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, the foreign minister meeting will take place on 28th and 29th July. Taliban will also take part in what is officially known as International Conference "Afghanistan: security and economic development". The meet is expected to see participation of delegations from more than 20 countries and international organisations. Uzbekistan, a country that shares land border with Afghanistan has in the past hosted key meetings on Afghanistan, one in 2018 and another in 2021. The 2021 meeting, which focused on regional connectivity between South and Central Asia, saw participation of the then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be attending the SCO foreign ministers' meet. SCO is more than a two-decade-old grouping that includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan and 4 central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is the chair of the grouping for this year and holds all major events. Next month, Uzbekistan will hold SCO interior and defense ministers meet. In September, the country will be holding the summit level meeting in which all the leaders are expected to be present in person, including Indian PM Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping. On the sidelines of the foreign and the summit level meetings, number of bilaterals are expected and no official confirmation has been given so far on any meetings between India and China or India and Pakistan. The summit level meeting will be important for India as the chairmanship of the grouping is handed over to New Delhi, which means it will be holding all key meetings of the grouping for next one year. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

India to attend SCO foreign ministers meet, Afghanistan conference in Uzbekistan

Iran will be admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this year within Uzbekistan's chairmanship. The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China.

Iran to become SCO member this year, Uzbekistan takes chairmanship

Eighteen people were killed and hundreds were wounded during unrest in Uzbekistan’s autonomous province of Karakalpakstan that broke out last week over plans to curtail its autonomy.

Uzbekistan: 18 protesters killed, hundreds wounded amid mass unrest

Russia-Ukraine war has driven an exodus of IT specialists to former parts of Soviet Union including Uzbekistan. Reports say that India's IT sector may also see creation of around 50,000 jobs

Uzbekistan and India's IT gain from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya on Sunday clinched the gold medal in the finals of the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series in Istanbul.

Dahiya defeated Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev 11-10 in a thrilling 61kg final and came back with the gold medal.

After trailing 8-10 against Abdullaev, Dahiya stood better in his last move and ended the bout on a happy note for himself.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/stefanos-tsitsipas-grabs-maiden-atp-doubles-title-in-acapulco-beat-dutch-salvadorian-pair-of-rojer-arevalo-457109">Stefanos Tsitsipas grabs maiden ATP doubles title in Acapulco, beat Dutch-Salvadorian pair of Rojer-Arevalo</a>

The silver medallist had earlier won against Iran's Mohammadbagher Esmaeil Yakhkeshi in the semi-final clash of the tournament.

Apart from him, wrestler Deepak Punia defeated Kazakhstan's Elkhan Assadov 7-1 in the bronze medal round of 92kg while Aman and Gyanendra also settled for bronze in 57kg and 60kg category, respectively.

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya on Sunday clinched the gold medal in the finals of the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series in Istanbul. Dahiya defeated Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev 11-10 in a thrilling 61kg final and came back with the gold medal.

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya on Sunday clinched the gold medal in the finals of the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series in Istanbul. Dahiya defeated Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev 11-10 in a thrilling 61kg final and came back with the gold medal. After trailing 8-10 against Abdullaev, Dahiya stood better in his last move and ended the bout on a happy note for himself. ALSO READ: Stefanos Tsitsipas grabs maiden ATP doubles title in Acapulco, beat Dutch-Salvadorian pair of Rojer-Arevalo The silver medallist had earlier won against Iran's Mohammadbagher Esmaeil Yakhkeshi in the semi-final clash of the tournament. Apart from him, wrestler Deepak Punia defeated Kazakhstan's Elkhan Assadov 7-1 in the bronze medal round of 92kg while Aman and Gyanendra also settled for bronze in 57kg and 60kg category, respectively.

Yasar Dogu: Ravi Dahiya wins gold in a thrilling final against Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev

The moment a 3-year-old daughter was tossed into a bear pit at a zoo in Uzbekistan by her mother, who is being probed for attempted murder, is captured on shocking video.

According to East2West News, the disturbing clip from Tashkent shows the toddler being thrown into a pit approximately 16 feet below the fence while a huge bear named Zuzu walks by and sniffs the child.

According to the news outlet, zookeepers were able to lure the beast into an enclosed area before rushing to save the small girl, who suffered a concussion and cuts as a result of the fall.

The mother has been arrested and is charged with attempted murder.If convicted of the heinous act, she might face a sentence of 15 years in prison.&nbsp;

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CCTV footage shows a woman throwing her daughter into a bear's enclosure in Uzbekistan's Tashkent Zoo. 
 
The toddler was not harmed by the bear, but she was hospitalized with injuries due to the fall. 
 
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"A young woman threw a little girl down into a brown bear’s enclosure, in front of all the visitors. It was completely unclear what her motive was," a zoo spokeswoman said.

"Both the visitors and the staff of the zoo were trying to stop her but failed," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The moment a 3-year-old daughter was tossed into a bear pit at a zoo in Uzbekistan by her mother, who is being probed for attempted murder, is captured on shocking video.

The moment a 3-year-old daughter was tossed into a bear pit at a zoo in Uzbekistan by her mother, who is being probed for attempted murder, is captured on shocking video. According to East2West News, the disturbing clip from Tashkent shows the toddler being thrown into a pit approximately 16 feet below the fence while a huge bear named Zuzu walks by and sniffs the child. According to the news outlet, zookeepers were able to lure the beast into an enclosed area before rushing to save the small girl, who suffered a concussion and cuts as a result of the fall. The mother has been arrested and is charged with attempted murder.If convicted of the heinous act, she might face a sentence of 15 years in prison. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED! CCTV footage shows a woman throwing her daughter into a bear's enclosure in Uzbekistan's Tashkent Zoo. The toddler was not harmed by the bear, but she was hospitalized with injuries due to the fall. The woman’s motivation has remained unclear. pic.twitter.com/R5c4aDzSFA — Press TV (@PressTV) February 1, 2022 × "A young woman threw a little girl down into a brown bear’s enclosure, in front of all the visitors. It was completely unclear what her motive was," a zoo spokeswoman said. "Both the visitors and the staff of the zoo were trying to stop her but failed," she said. (With inputs from agencies)

Video: Mother throws her 3-year-old daughter into bear enclosure at Tashkent Zoo

Power began trickling back to the three central Asian countries which are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. After one of the biggest blackouts in the region's history, millions of major cities of the three former soviet nations were left without power after an electricity grid accident.

Power began trickling back in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan after biggest ever blackout

The central Asian nations of Kazakhstan,&nbsp;Uzbekistan&nbsp;and Kyrgyzstan suffered electrical power outages in major cities on Tuesday, according to authorities and residents, after a major power line in Kazakhstan was disconnected.

The grids of the three ex-Soviet republics are interconnected, and via Kazakhstan are linked to the Russian power grid which they can use to cover unexpected shortages.

But Kazakhstan's North-South power line, which links densely populated southern Kazakhstan and its two neighbours to major power stations in northern Kazakhstan and the Russian network, was disconnected on Tuesday morning due to "emergency imbalances" in the Central Asian part of the grid, grid operator KEGOC said.

The blackout caused chaos across the region for several hours, with subway trains stuck in tunnels and skiers on lifts, airports closing, district heating and tap water pumps going idle and traffic lights switching off.

Neither of the three countries reported any problems with its power stations that could have caused the imbalances.

Kazakhstan, which has previously experienced power shortages due to the influx of cryptocurrency miners, has started routinely cutting off their power supply and did so from Jan. 24 until the end of the month, according to a document published online by one of the local miners.

Outages were reported in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty and several major southern cities close to the Uzbek and Kyrgyz borders. The airport of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, briefly stopped accepting flights.

Authorities in&nbsp;Uzbekistan&nbsp;and Kyrgyzstan said they were restarting power plants after emergency shutdowns and would initially remain disconnected from the Central Asian grid.

The central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan suffered electrical power outages in major cities on Tuesday, according to authorities and residents, after a major power line in Kazakhstan was disconnected.

The central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan suffered electrical power outages in major cities on Tuesday, according to authorities and residents, after a major power line in Kazakhstan was disconnected. The grids of the three ex-Soviet republics are interconnected, and via Kazakhstan are linked to the Russian power grid which they can use to cover unexpected shortages. But Kazakhstan's North-South power line, which links densely populated southern Kazakhstan and its two neighbours to major power stations in northern Kazakhstan and the Russian network, was disconnected on Tuesday morning due to "emergency imbalances" in the Central Asian part of the grid, grid operator KEGOC said. The blackout caused chaos across the region for several hours, with subway trains stuck in tunnels and skiers on lifts, airports closing, district heating and tap water pumps going idle and traffic lights switching off. Neither of the three countries reported any problems with its power stations that could have caused the imbalances. Kazakhstan, which has previously experienced power shortages due to the influx of cryptocurrency miners, has started routinely cutting off their power supply and did so from Jan. 24 until the end of the month, according to a document published online by one of the local miners. Outages were reported in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty and several major southern cities close to the Uzbek and Kyrgyz borders. The airport of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, briefly stopped accepting flights. Authorities in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan said they were restarting power plants after emergency shutdowns and would initially remain disconnected from the Central Asian grid.

Power blackout hits Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary.

“I wanted to go to the West to change my life,” the farmer, a father of three who asked that his name not be used to avoid retribution from his employer, recalled in an interview.

His life certainly changed: It got much worse.

The job turned out to be in Serbia, one of Europe’s poorest nations, with a Chinese company whose gigantic tire factory under construction in the northern city of Zrenjanin has become a symbol of the chasm between the alluring promise of investment from China and the sometimes grim reality on the ground.

Touted as China’s biggest industrial investment in Europe, the $900 million Ling Long Tire factory is a magnet of criticism for a Serbian government that opponents accuse of no-questions-asked subservience to China. Workers and activists say problems like human trafficking, prisonlike working conditions and environmental abuse are endemic.

About 400 Vietnamese work in Zrenjanin, along with hundreds more Chinese, who get higher salaries and better living conditions, according to the workers and local labor activists. The former farmer from Vietnam described his work conditions in Serbia as “miserable and dangerous” and said he was housed in a decrepit shack crammed with other Vietnamese workers and bullied by Chinese supervisors.

The Ling Long Tire project first took shape in September 2018 during meetings in Beijing between Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Xi Jinping, China’s leader.

Xi, who has looked to Serbia as China’s most dependable European friend at a time when other nations are souring on his country, praised the Balkan nation as a “good, honest friend and good partner.”

Vucic predicted that the tire factory, which plans to produce more than 130 million tires a year in Zrenjanin, and other planned ventures would make Serbia “the port for Chinese investments throughout the region.”

Serbia said Chinese investment helped it achieve economic growth of over 7% last year, among the highest in Europe.

But the furor over working conditions has set back Serbia’s yearslong effort to join the European Union, whose view of China has become increasingly jaundiced. The European Parliament last month demanded an investigation into treatment of Vietnamese laborers in Zrenjanin and voiced alarm “over China’s increasing influence in Serbia and across the Western Balkans.”

It has also aggravated what has become Vucic’s biggest political headache: public anger over damage to the environment widely blamed on the government’s drive to juice the economy at all costs. Tens of thousands of people gathered late last year for weeks of street protests across Serbia against the development of a lithium mine project by the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto. The protests forced a rare retreat by the government, which on Jan. 20 canceled licenses for the project.

Chinese ventures in Serbia, which include a smoke-belching steel works near Belgrade, the capital, and a copper mine and smelter in the southern town of Bor, have helped stoke this anger. Despite gushing praise of Beijing in the pro-government Serbian media, they have made China synonymous in the minds of many Serbs with environmental degradation.

Unlike Rio Tinto, highly vulnerable because of its links to Australia, a country widely reviled in Serbia after the recent expulsion of tennis star Novak Djokovic, Chinese companies have enjoyed unwavering support from Vucic as indispensable for the creation of jobs and economic growth.

But Marina Tepic, a leader of the main opposition party, said in an interview that the tire factory would “provide a few jobs to Serbs but kill many more with its pollution.”

Strong support from the leaders of both Serbia and China, she added, has put the project largely off limits for government regulators and allowed construction workers there — deprived for a time of their passports, housed in squalor and fearful of retribution — to be kept in “modern slavery.”

The government denies protecting the Chinese project from scrutiny, with the construction minister, Tomislav Momirovic, declaring on a recent visit to Zrenjanin that the Chinese factory was Serbia’s most closely monitored building site. Officials say that Vietnamese workers have all been given their passports back and are now free to leave if they want.

A few of the workers have fled. But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say.

A statement from Ling Long Tire cited in Serbian media said the company was “committed to full respect for and a humane and dignified approach to all employees.” Yet it stressed that none of the construction workers are employees, and work for subcontractors. Ling Long said it had asked the contractors to provide better accommodations. The tire company did not immediately respond to requests for comment at its head office in China.

The Serbian government, which granted 240 acres of farmland free of charge to Ling Long Tire for its factory and pledged $85 million in state subsidies, says the factory will eventually generate 1,200 jobs. It declared the venture a “project of national importance,” a classification that critics see as a move to shield the venture from environmental and other inspectors.

“They behave as if the Chinese factory were a military site,” said Ivan Zivkov, a member of a network of activist groups in Zrenjanin that has been pressing authorities, mostly unsuccessfully, to release information about the factory and its likely impact on the environment.

Zoran Dedic, a retiree in Zrenjanin who attended a recent public meeting hosted by Zivkov, said he did not object to foreign investment. But he expressed alarm that so much information about the Chinese tire factory, particularly future levels of pollution, had not been made public and that Ling Long, while donating money to send local children to soccer camp, had not engaged in serious discussion with residents.

“We know nothing about what is going on over there,” he said.

Marija Andjelkovic, the head of Astra, an independent group in Belgrade that monitors and lobbies against human trafficking, said she visited the construction site late last year and found Vietnamese workers sleeping in hovels without heat or clean water. “It was like a prison camp,” she said.

Labor contracts signed by Vietnamese workers with China Energy Engineering Group, a Ling Long subcontractor overseeing construction, commit each worker not to engage in trade union activities, and to “refrain from anything that would detract from his reputation or the reputation” of the Chinese company.

Even more restrictive are the terms set by recruitment agencies in Vietnam. One agency, Song Hy Gia Lai International, demanded that all workers going to Europe sign a document pledging never to go on strike or protest.

The document appears to have been copied and pasted from agreements originally drafted for laborers recruited in Vietnam for work in the Middle East: It warns that workers going to Serbia risk having their hands cut off if they steal.

Danilo Curkic, program director for A11, a Belgrade research group, said contracts signed by Vietnamese workers were “far away from anything that is legal under Serbian law” and left them in indentured servitude. “It is impossible that Serbian state authorities did not know what was happening,” he said.

One Vietnamese worker who spoke to a Serbian TV station in November about what he described as inhumane living conditions was taken in for questioning by the Serbian police and released after signing a statement asserting that he had no complaints. Another who spoke to a Serbian media outlet was fired.

“This is all part of the process of intimidation,” Curkic said.

Vietnamese workers who agreed to be interviewed by The Times through an interpreter said they had lived for months in squalid barracklike shelters previously used by a local farm to raise pigs and chickens.

The former farmer from northern Vietnam said conditions had improved somewhat in recent weeks. Many workers now live in a two-story concrete block surrounded by a metal fence and watched over by Serbian security guards who bar entry to outsiders.

One resident, a 40-year-old Vietnamese construction worker who requested anonymity, said he shared a tiny room with seven others and that their kitchen was crawling with rats. Salaries of about $900 per month, higher than what he could earn in Vietnam, were often paid late and slashed for days not worked because of sickness or inclement weather, he said.

He previously worked for different Chinese companies for 15 years in Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia and Taiwan, but said he had never endured conditions as bad as at the Ling Long Tire construction site in Serbia.

“It’s like hell on Earth here,” he said.

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary.

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary. “I wanted to go to the West to change my life,” the farmer, a father of three who asked that his name not be used to avoid retribution from his employer, recalled in an interview. His life certainly changed: It got much worse. The job turned out to be in Serbia, one of Europe’s poorest nations, with a Chinese company whose gigantic tire factory under construction in the northern city of Zrenjanin has become a symbol of the chasm between the alluring promise of investment from China and the sometimes grim reality on the ground. Touted as China’s biggest industrial investment in Europe, the $900 million Ling Long Tire factory is a magnet of criticism for a Serbian government that opponents accuse of no-questions-asked subservience to China. Workers and activists say problems like human trafficking, prisonlike working conditions and environmental abuse are endemic. About 400 Vietnamese work in Zrenjanin, along with hundreds more Chinese, who get higher salaries and better living conditions, according to the workers and local labor activists. The former farmer from Vietnam described his work conditions in Serbia as “miserable and dangerous” and said he was housed in a decrepit shack crammed with other Vietnamese workers and bullied by Chinese supervisors. The Ling Long Tire project first took shape in September 2018 during meetings in Beijing between Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Xi Jinping, China’s leader. Xi, who has looked to Serbia as China’s most dependable European friend at a time when other nations are souring on his country, praised the Balkan nation as a “good, honest friend and good partner.” Vucic predicted that the tire factory, which plans to produce more than 130 million tires a year in Zrenjanin, and other planned ventures would make Serbia “the port for Chinese investments throughout the region.” Serbia said Chinese investment helped it achieve economic growth of over 7% last year, among the highest in Europe. But the furor over working conditions has set back Serbia’s yearslong effort to join the European Union, whose view of China has become increasingly jaundiced. The European Parliament last month demanded an investigation into treatment of Vietnamese laborers in Zrenjanin and voiced alarm “over China’s increasing influence in Serbia and across the Western Balkans.” It has also aggravated what has become Vucic’s biggest political headache: public anger over damage to the environment widely blamed on the government’s drive to juice the economy at all costs. Tens of thousands of people gathered late last year for weeks of street protests across Serbia against the development of a lithium mine project by the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto. The protests forced a rare retreat by the government, which on Jan. 20 canceled licenses for the project. Chinese ventures in Serbia, which include a smoke-belching steel works near Belgrade, the capital, and a copper mine and smelter in the southern town of Bor, have helped stoke this anger. Despite gushing praise of Beijing in the pro-government Serbian media, they have made China synonymous in the minds of many Serbs with environmental degradation. Unlike Rio Tinto, highly vulnerable because of its links to Australia, a country widely reviled in Serbia after the recent expulsion of tennis star Novak Djokovic, Chinese companies have enjoyed unwavering support from Vucic as indispensable for the creation of jobs and economic growth. But Marina Tepic, a leader of the main opposition party, said in an interview that the tire factory would “provide a few jobs to Serbs but kill many more with its pollution.” Strong support from the leaders of both Serbia and China, she added, has put the project largely off limits for government regulators and allowed construction workers there — deprived for a time of their passports, housed in squalor and fearful of retribution — to be kept in “modern slavery.” The government denies protecting the Chinese project from scrutiny, with the construction minister, Tomislav Momirovic, declaring on a recent visit to Zrenjanin that the Chinese factory was Serbia’s most closely monitored building site. Officials say that Vietnamese workers have all been given their passports back and are now free to leave if they want. A few of the workers have fled. But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say. A statement from Ling Long Tire cited in Serbian media said the company was “committed to full respect for and a humane and dignified approach to all employees.” Yet it stressed that none of the construction workers are employees, and work for subcontractors. Ling Long said it had asked the contractors to provide better accommodations. The tire company did not immediately respond to requests for comment at its head office in China. The Serbian government, which granted 240 acres of farmland free of charge to Ling Long Tire for its factory and pledged $85 million in state subsidies, says the factory will eventually generate 1,200 jobs. It declared the venture a “project of national importance,” a classification that critics see as a move to shield the venture from environmental and other inspectors. “They behave as if the Chinese factory were a military site,” said Ivan Zivkov, a member of a network of activist groups in Zrenjanin that has been pressing authorities, mostly unsuccessfully, to release information about the factory and its likely impact on the environment. Zoran Dedic, a retiree in Zrenjanin who attended a recent public meeting hosted by Zivkov, said he did not object to foreign investment. But he expressed alarm that so much information about the Chinese tire factory, particularly future levels of pollution, had not been made public and that Ling Long, while donating money to send local children to soccer camp, had not engaged in serious discussion with residents. “We know nothing about what is going on over there,” he said. Marija Andjelkovic, the head of Astra, an independent group in Belgrade that monitors and lobbies against human trafficking, said she visited the construction site late last year and found Vietnamese workers sleeping in hovels without heat or clean water. “It was like a prison camp,” she said. Labor contracts signed by Vietnamese workers with China Energy Engineering Group, a Ling Long subcontractor overseeing construction, commit each worker not to engage in trade union activities, and to “refrain from anything that would detract from his reputation or the reputation” of the Chinese company. Even more restrictive are the terms set by recruitment agencies in Vietnam. One agency, Song Hy Gia Lai International, demanded that all workers going to Europe sign a document pledging never to go on strike or protest. The document appears to have been copied and pasted from agreements originally drafted for laborers recruited in Vietnam for work in the Middle East: It warns that workers going to Serbia risk having their hands cut off if they steal. Danilo Curkic, program director for A11, a Belgrade research group, said contracts signed by Vietnamese workers were “far away from anything that is legal under Serbian law” and left them in indentured servitude. “It is impossible that Serbian state authorities did not know what was happening,” he said. One Vietnamese worker who spoke to a Serbian TV station in November about what he described as inhumane living conditions was taken in for questioning by the Serbian police and released after signing a statement asserting that he had no complaints. Another who spoke to a Serbian media outlet was fired. “This is all part of the process of intimidation,” Curkic said. Vietnamese workers who agreed to be interviewed by The Times through an interpreter said they had lived for months in squalid barracklike shelters previously used by a local farm to raise pigs and chickens. The former farmer from northern Vietnam said conditions had improved somewhat in recent weeks. Many workers now live in a two-story concrete block surrounded by a metal fence and watched over by Serbian security guards who bar entry to outsiders. One resident, a 40-year-old Vietnamese construction worker who requested anonymity, said he shared a tiny room with seven others and that their kitchen was crawling with rats. Salaries of about $900 per month, higher than what he could earn in Vietnam, were often paid late and slashed for days not worked because of sickness or inclement weather, he said. He previously worked for different Chinese companies for 15 years in Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia and Taiwan, but said he had never endured conditions as bad as at the Ling Long Tire construction site in Serbia. “It’s like hell on Earth here,” he said.

'Miserable and dangerous': A failed Chinese promise in Serbia

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