Tashkent, Aug 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid floral tribute at the Shastri Memorial, honouring the legacy of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, and jointly planted a tree with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent.
Shastri’s “timeless call of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ continues to inspire generations,” the Ministry of External Affairs said, adding that his “life embodied simplicity, courage and unwavering devotion to the nation.”
India’s second Prime Minister, Shastri, suddenly died in the Uzbek capital on January 11, 1966, just hours after signing the historic Tashkent Declaration to end the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War.
Modi and Mirziyoyev also jointly planted a tree in the Presidential Palace garden under India’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative and Uzbekistan’s “Yashil Makon” green efforts, the MEA posted on X.
“The gesture reflects the shared commitment of India and Uzbekistan towards nurturing a greener and more sustainable future,” it said.
The tree-planting ceremony came after Modi held delegation-level talks with Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace as part of his two-day state visit to Uzbekistan.
The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership, including trade and investment, innovation and start-ups, digital public infrastructure and UPI, defence and security, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, agriculture, education, tourism, space and people-to-people exchanges.
During the talks, the two sides decided to elevate their bilateral Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They also agreed to set a bilateral trade target of USD 5 billion by 2030 and called for a Business Summit to deepen economic and investment ties
Modi was also conferred the “Oliy Darajali Do’stlik” Order, Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders, by Mirziyoyev for his contribution to strengthening friendship between the two countries.
Earlier in the day, Modi attended a yoga session hosted by the Yoga Federation of Uzbekistan.
The prime minister arrived in Tashkent on Saturday and received a warm welcome from Mirziyoyev at the airport.
After his arrival, Modi visited Yangi Uzbekistan Park and laid a wreath at the Independence Monument along with the Uzbek president.
He also met members of the Indian community at a hotel in Tashkent
Modi is on the first leg of a two-nation visit that will take him to Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 1 for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
