India and Uzbekistan discuss economic, financial cooperation

New Delhi: India and Uzbekistan are looking to deepen bilateral economic & financial cooperation, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov discussing ways to strengthen engagement between the two countries.

Sitharaman met Kuchkarov in New Delhi on Sunday, with the two sides exchanging views on areas of mutual interest and exploring avenues to further strengthen economic & financial ties, the Ministry of Finance said on X.

The meeting comes as India continues to expand its economic engagement with Central Asian countries, with greater cooperation in trade, investment and financial sectors offering scope to strengthen bilateral economic links.

The discussions between the two finance ministers focused on areas where both countries can build closer institutional and economic cooperation.

The meeting also assumes significance as India has been seeking to strengthen its engagement with Central Asia through greater economic and connectivity cooperation. Uzbekistan, as the region’s most populous country and a key Central Asian economy, remains an important partner for India’s regional economic outreach.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, although the Ministry of Finance did not provide details of specific sectors or initiatives.