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In a first-ever visit by an Indian Vice-President to Uzbekistan, Hamid Ansari would be travelling to Tashkent next week during which key issues like economic interests and counter-terrorism cooperation will be discussed.
Ansari would be travelling with a high-level delegation to Tashkent between May 21 and 24.
During his interaction with Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov, Ansari would discuss issues like economic reconstruction projects undertaken by New Delhi in the region and cooperation on counter-terrorism in the backdrop of withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014.
“Conversations would revolve around economic reconstruction projects and also counter-terrorism cooperation,” Joint Secretary (Eurasia) in the MEA Ajay Bisaria told reporters ahead of the visit.
He said besides bilateral and international issues, regional issues, in particular those related to Afghanistan, will come in for “serious discussion’’.
Terming terrorism as a “common and pressing concern” for the two countries, he said several radical elements of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, now called Islamic Movement of Turkistan and Hizb-ut Tahrir, have found shelter in the region.
Then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had visited Uzbekistan in 1993 followed by present incumbent Manmohan Singh in 2006.
Karimov had visited India in 1991 as leader of the Communist Party, and later in 1994, 2000, 2005 and 2011 as President of that country.
The visit will give fillip to bilateral relations between the two countries. India and Uzbekistan have a bilateral trade worth $200 million with the balance of trade tilted in favour of New Delhi.
At least 15 Indian pharmaceutical companies are represented in Uzbekistan where India is also involved in the IT sector. The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for IT Excellence there is set to be upgraded in the coming days.
India is also setting up a power transmission line which will send Uzbeki power to Afghanistan.
Besides Tashkent, Ansari would also visit the historic cities of Samarkand and Bukhara where he will meet the heads of the regions.
Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, MPs K.N. Balagopal, Shivanand Tiwari, Sumitra Mahajan and E.M.S. Natchiappan will accompany the Vice-President.
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