1.2.4. India-Uzbekistan

♤ Uzbekistan is bordered by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton. The country also operates the largest open-pit gold mine in the world.

♤ Uzbekistan became independent on 1st September 1991. Consulate General of India in Tashkent was formally inaugurated on 7th April 1987. Indian leaders often visited Tashkent and other places. Prime Minister, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away in Tashkent on 11 January 1966 after signing the Tashkent declaration with Pakistan.

♤ Mirza Ghalib and Amir Khusro are notable Indians of Uzbek parentage.♤ Uzbekistan, the seventh biggest uranium exporter in the world, will be a key player in