Indian Finance Minister to embark on a five-day official visit to Uzbekistan

New Delhi: Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on an five-day official visit to Uzbekistan starting Tuesday, accompanying her will be a delegation of officials from the Ministry of Finance.

During the visit, Sitharaman will attend the Ninth Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) scheduled in Samarkand on Wednesday-Thursday, besides other important bilateral meetings with her counterparts from Uzbekistan, Qatar, China, and AIIB President, Ministry of Finance said in a statement,

In the Annual Meeting of AIIB, the Union Finance Minister will attend as the Indian Governor to the AIIB. India is the second largest shareholder of the bank. The multilateral discussions centred around a broad spectrum of important global issues relevant to the development agenda.

The AIIB Annual Meeting witnesses' participation of delegations from around 80 countries, and other international organisations. As a multilateral development bank, AIIB is focused on developing sustainable infrastructure in Asia and in promoting investments in infrastructure and other productive sectors with a view to foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity.

As part of the official visit, she is expected to call-on Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan, the statement said.

During the visit, the Union Finance Minister will sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Uzbekistan. The BIT will be signed by the Union Finance Minister and Uzbekistan Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade. The treaty aims to promote more extensive economic cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries on a long-term basis.

The Union Finance Minister will also participate in the India-Uzbekistan Business forum discussions, jointly organised as well as represented by industry captains from both countries.

Sitharaman will also visit the Samarkand State University and Lal Bahadur Shastri Monument in Tashkent. The Union Finance Minister will also interact with Indian diaspora representing leading voices from multiple sectors.