Uzbekistan president calls India a close friend

During the India-Uzbekistan virtual summit, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called India a reliable and close friend and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tashkent: Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Friday called India a "reliable and close friend" and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"You are a reliable and close friend... Our countries do have very common and ancient histories. Modern India is one of the leading world powers with enormous economic and intellectual potential," he said during the India-Uzbekistan virtual summit.

He said that the two countries have been working closely to fighting common threats of terrorism and other challenges.

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"As a true friend, you have supported us during this very difficult period. I can say that within a short space of time, we have been able to fill the bilateral relationship with practical substance and this is a big positive. We have been closely cooperating in fighting common threats and challenges," he added.

Mirziyoyev said that he hoped that Prime Minister Modi's official visit would be able to take place in 2021 adding that it would a historic event in the development of friendly relations between the two countries

"I hope that next year your official visit to Uzbekistan will take place. It will be a historical event in the development of the friendly relations between our countries," he said.

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To restore peace in Afghanistan, the negotiations with the Taliban must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a virtual summit with Uzbekistan, the war-torn country's northern neighbour, on Friday.

ANI