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At the invitation of the President of India, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Mr. Islam A. Karimov, will pay a state visit to India from April 4-6, 2005.
During the course of his stay in New Delhi, H.E. Mr. Islam A. Karimov will call on the President of India, who will also be hosting a state banquet in his honour. He will also hold meetings with Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Commerce & Industry.
It is expected that issues of bilateral, regional and international interest will come up for discussion.
Around 12 agreements/documents, encompassing a wide range such as cooperation in the field of small scale industries, banking, tourism, education and culture, military technical areas etc. are expected to be signed during the visit.
Both India and Uzbekistan enjoy friendly and cordial relations. The two-way trade in 2004 was $ 150 million. India’s main exports to Uzbekistan include pharmaceuticals, tea, surgical items, plant and machinery, while imports from Uzbekistan cover cotton, raw wool, non-ferrous metals and machinery items.
India’s Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme and other cultural exchange programmes provide about 130 scholarships to Uzbek professionals and students every year. This is the highest number India provides to any country in Central Asia. India is also setting up under its cooperation programme, an Information Technology Institute for Advanced Learning in Tashkent. The work on the institute was started in March 2005. This institute is due to be commissioned by the end of 2005.
AK/SK/JA
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