Uzbekistan and Haryana in Chandigarh on Friday expressed the need to develop strong cultural and economic relations with the latter offering joint ventures (jvs) in the field of Information Technology.

The desire for closer ties between the two was expressed at a meeting here today with the Haryana team led by Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala and Uzbekistan led by Uzbek ambassador to India, Dr Ibrahim R Mavlanov, an official announcement said in Chandigarh on Friday.
The ambassador was accompanied by Mrs Tamara Dauletmuradova, minister of culture, republic of Karakalpakastan, an autonomous region in Uzbekistan, and Saeed Burkhanov, second secretary in the Uzbek ambassy.

Mavlanov said that it was for the first time that he had met any chief minister of an Indian state while recalling the visit of Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966 for the Tashkent Treaty.

He said that India and his country already have strong cultural and economic ties reflected in the popularity of hindi songs in the central Asian country.

He said that there were already regular flights between Amritsar and Tashkent New Delhi.
Mavlanov invited Chautala to his country for exploring the possibilities of cooperation. Bureau Report