India and Uzbekistan are marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year

Relations between India and Uzbekistan are key to India's vision of an integrated extended neighbourhood, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 13th meeting of the India-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) in New Delhi, Goyal also emphasized the significance of this year for relations between India and Uzbekistan, which are marking their 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

In his remarks, the Minister stated that the Indian government is eager to establish thriving people-to-people relationships and emphasized that trade connections are a logical by-product of enhancing bilateral relations.

Additionally, he said that both sides needed to advance their relationship in more contemporary areas, such as technology, online payment methods, and start-up financing.

The Minister stressed the need to find fresh driving factors for India and Uzbekistan's bilateral trade to expand at an aspirational rate. He emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive strategy for regional connectivity and collaboration.

Goyal highlighted seven new areas of bilateral collaboration, including space cooperation, digital payments, agriculture and dairy, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, MSME, and interregional cooperation.

Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Jamshid Khodjaev led the visiting delegation.

Khodjaev expressed excitement about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming trip to Uzbekistan in September. He stated that Prime Minister Modi's visit will be fully utilized to strengthen bilateral ties in a variety of areas of mutual interest.

According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the IGC conference is a crucial forum for discussing ideas, resolving problems, and advancing bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of commerce and investment.

On June 22, the second India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on Economic Cooperation met and covered a wide variety of topics.