India-Uzbekistan virtual summit on December 11, a first with central Asian nation

In a first-ever virtual summit with a Central Asian country, PM Narendra Modi will hold a virtual summit with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on December 11.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will hold a virtual summit on December 11. This is the first such virtual summit with a Central Asian country, and the 7th in the series of a new format of diplomatic engagement amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 

PM Modi has already had virtual summits with his counterparts from--Australia, EU, Sri Lanka, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg. More such meets are on the anvil, with a virtual summit with Bangladesh expected to happen on the December 17. 

A Ministry of External Affairs release on India Uzbekistan virtual summit said, "The leaders will discuss the entire spectrum of the bilateral relationship, including strengthening of India-Uzbekistan cooperation in the post-COVID world."

It added, "They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest." A number of Government-to-Government agreements will be signed at the summit."

Both countries have had close ties and a high-level of engagements. Prime Minister Modi had visited the doubly landlocked central Asian country in 2015 and 2016, followed by visits of Uzbek President Mirziyoyev to India in 2018 and 2019.