Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-nation visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on Saturday, expressing confidence that the diplomatic engagement will reinforce India’s strategic partnerships across Central Asia.PM Modi’s first stop is Tashkent, where he landed this evening for a two-day bilateral visit at the invitation of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. His first engagement was laying a wreath at Yangi Uzbekistan Park—that marks vision for modern political reform—for the former Soviet republic.Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the wreath laying as “honouring Uzbekistan’s rich history, heritage, and national spirit. The occasion underscored the deep-rooted and longstanding friendship between India and Uzbekistan”.Mirziyoyev is scheduled to host a dinner for the PM tonight, while the two will be locked in a bilateral meeting on Jattvibeday.India and Uzbekistan look to deepen cooperation across critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and IT. Uzbekistan holds reserves of minerals like tungsten, lithium and graphite.Outlining expectations for the bilateral engagement, PM Modi said in his departure statement, “In recent years, the India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership has seen significant advancement. I look forward to my discussions with President Mirziyoyev on further deepening our cooperation in trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy.”In the Uzbek capital, Modi will visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. This marks PM Modi’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan.Following the bilateral leg in Tashkent, PM Modi will proceed to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov to attend the 26th SCO Summit, which commemorates a quarter-century of the organisation. Besides the SCO meet, the PM is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for a bilateral meeting.Highlighting regional priorities, PM Modi said, “India has been an active and constructive member of the SCO since 2017. I look forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in security, connectivity, and opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which continue to threaten peace and stability in our neighbourhood and beyond.”He further added, “I also look forward to meeting President Japarov and other SCO leaders and to attending the Opening Ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games, a celebration of the rich living heritage of Central Asia that India holds in deep respect.”PM Modi added, “I am confident that this visit will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen our civilisational connect with the region, and advance our shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity, values that lie at the heart of India’s engagement with the world.”The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has 10 member states with a combined territory of around 36 million kilometres and a population of over 3.4 billion. It represents about 25 per cent of global GDP and over 15 per cent of international trade. In 2017, India was granted full membership of the organisation.