Capacity building and developmental assistance for Uzbekistan have imparted close bonding between India and the Central Asian country in recent years

India and Uzbekistan on Monday held their first meeting of the National Coordination Committees for monitoring implementation of mutually agreed projects between the two countries.

The Indian side led by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and Uzbek side headed by its Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov reviewed the ongoing projects in this Central Asian country at the National Coordination Committees meet.

“Both sides comprehensively reviewed the ongoing and planned activities of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, including the status of negotiations for concluding a Bilateral Investment Treaty, Preferential Trade Agreement, mutual market access for agricultural produce of both countries,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

It further added that both countries during the meet, took note of “implementation of identified projects under India’s Lines of Credit, cooperation between the state of Gujarat and the Andijan region of Uzbekistan, and the India-Uzbekistan Entrepreneurship Development Centre at Tashkent.”

India and Uzbekistan expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved in various projects and expressed hope that the expeditious completion of the projects will further strengthen bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

National Coordination Committees were constituted under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

During the meeting, Minister V Muraleedharan extended an invitation to Deputy Prime Minister Umurzakov to visit India as per mutual convenience.