Tashkent, Aug 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, recognising his contribution to strengthening the close and growing partnership between India and Uzbekistan.
The prestigious award marks another addition to the growing list of international honours received by the Indian Prime Minister during his tenure. Modi has been honoured by numerous countries and international organisations for his contributions to bilateral relations, global cooperation and other areas.
The presentation of the Uzbek honour came during Modi’s two-day state visit to Uzbekistan, which began on Saturday. The visit is focused on deepening India-Uzbekistan cooperation across areas including trade, investment, defence, energy, digital connectivity, education and people-to-people ties.
Earlier on Sunday, Modi held delegation-level talks with President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. The discussions are expected to cover the full range of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sibi George and other senior officials were present during the talks.
Before the meeting, Modi received a ceremonial welcome in Tashkent. President Mirziyoyev personally received the Indian Prime Minister, with the two leaders exchanging warm greetings before proceeding with the official engagements.
Modi’s visit has also featured a strong cultural dimension. During his stay in Tashkent, he witnessed a special yoga session involving 52 practitioners from Uzbekistan, highlighting the growing popularity of Yoga in the Central Asian country.
Sharing a video of the programme on social media, Modi praised the participants for their performance and thanked President Mirziyoyev for promoting Yoga in Uzbekistan.
“Namaste, you all have showcased excellent Yoga performance today. People of all ages are present here,” Modi said, expressing his appreciation for the participants.
In another post accompanying the video, the Prime Minister wrote, “Uzbekistan loves Yoga!”
The session included six members of the Yoga Federation of Uzbekistan who had represented their country at the First World Yogasana Championship 2026 in Ahmedabad in June. Their participation underscored the expanding cultural and sporting exchanges between the two countries.
The Prime Minister had received a warm welcome from the Indian community upon his arrival in Tashkent on Saturday. He described the diaspora as a “living bridge” between India and Uzbekistan and praised the community for strengthening the friendship between the two nations.
Modi’s Uzbekistan visit is being closely watched for its potential to give fresh momentum to India’s engagement with Central Asia. New Delhi has increasingly sought to expand connectivity, economic cooperation and strategic partnerships with countries in the region.
The conferment of the Oliy Darajali Do’stlik Order is expected to further underline the personal rapport between Modi and Mirziyoyev and the importance both sides attach to their bilateral relationship.
Following his Uzbekistan engagements, Modi is scheduled to travel onward to Kyrgyzstan to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, adding a wider regional dimension to his Central Asian diplomatic outreach.
