PM Modi, Uzbekistan President discuss regional issues, emphasise Afghanistan territory should not be used for terrorist activities

Samarkand [Uzbekistan], September 16 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a bilateral meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the SCO Summit here and discussed regional issues, including Afghanistan.
They were unanimous in their view that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used for terrorist activities
The two leaders touched upon priority areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly trade, economic cooperation and connectivity. They stressed the need to make concerted efforts to diversify the trade basket and enter into long-term arrangements to promote trade and investment.
Connectivity was considered key to unlocking the potential in this regard, including greater usage of the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor, an MEA release said.
The two leaders emphasized cooperation in fields like Information Technology, healthcare and higher education based upon India's developmental experience and expertise.
The opening of Indian educational institutions and the partnership between Uzbek and Indian universities was welcomed.
The leaders attached great importance to the outcomes of the First India-Central Asia Summit held in January this year. They acknowledged the progress being made in the implementation of the Summit decisions.
Prime Minister congratulated President Mirziyoyev for excellent organization of the SCO Summit and Uzbekistan's successful chairmanship.
This is a special year for the two countries as it marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
The leaders appreciated the overall progress in bilateral relations, including the implementation of decisions of the Virtual Summit in December 2020.