India and Uzbekistan elevate ties with uranium deal and new agreements
India and Uzbekistan have elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership and moved towards a long-term framework for uranium supplies, while signing a broad package of agreements covering education, trade, tourism and scientific cooperation.
The decisions followed talks between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Indian leader’s state visit to Tashkent.
The proposed uranium framework is expected to provide a longer-term basis for supplies to India’s civilian nuclear energy sector. Uzbekistan is already an established supplier of uranium to India, and the new arrangement would deepen cooperation in a strategically important area.
Modi said the two countries would establish a Coordination Council led by their foreign ministers to oversee bilateral cooperation. Their existing joint commission will also be upgraded from the secretary level to the ministerial level, creating a higher-level mechanism for advancing agreements.
The partnership upgrade coincided with discussions on expanding trade, investment, connectivity, defence and energy cooperation as both governments seek to broaden ties beyond their existing strategic relationship.
Agreements span education, tourism and economic ties
Following the negotiations, Uzbekistan and India signed a series of bilateral documents aimed at strengthening economic, investment and humanitarian cooperation.
Among them was an agreement on cooperation in higher education and scientific research, as well as a memorandum between Uzbekistan’s University of World Economy and Diplomacy and India’s Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service.
The two governments also approved a cultural exchange programme for 2026-30 and signed an agreement on cooperation in Ayurveda and other forms of traditional medicine. A separate tourism cooperation programme will run from 2026 to 2028.
Economic links were reinforced through a memorandum establishing an economic and financial dialogue, while another agreement will promote cooperation in geology and mineral resources. The package also includes an agreement on environmental protection and a partnership between Uzbekistan’s Samarkand region and the Indian state of Gujarat.
Archaeology and cultural links also feature
The agreements extended cooperation into archaeology and cultural preservation, with the two sides approving a protocol for research at the Fayaz Tepe and Kara Tepe archaeological sites in Uzbekistan.
They also signed a memorandum on cooperation in archival affairs, adding another dimension to efforts to strengthen cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries.
During the visit, Mirziyoyev awarded Modi the Order of Oliy Darajali Dustlik, Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, in recognition of his contribution to developing bilateral relations.
