New Delhi [India], August 29 (ANI): Enroute to Uzbekistan for his state visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his delight over a video posted by young Uzbek citizens, praising their enthusiastic tribute and fluent delivery in Hindi.
In a post on X, PM Modi highlighted the warm gesture as a testament to the strong cultural affinity between the two nations.
"As I am about to begin my Uzbekistan visit, I am very happy to see the enthusiasm of my young friends from Uzbekistan, beautifully expressed in this video. What makes it even more special is the fact that they did it in Hindi and they did it so well!" PM Modi wrote.
In the video, several Uzbek students took turns welcoming the Prime Minister to their capital, emphasising their affection for Indian culture and the long-standing bond between the two countries.
The first student said, "Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, welcome to Tashkent. My name is Samandar. We are students from Tashkent. We are eagerly waiting for your arrival in Tashkent. Shri Narendra Modi ji, Tashkent is waiting for you."
While another stated, "Greetings, respected Shri Narendra Modi ji. The land of Tashkent is calling out to you. We are eagerly waiting for that beautiful meeting. Modi ji, Tashkent is waiting for you."
Another student extended a welcome to the PM and said, "Greetings, Shri respected Modi ji. A loving namaste to you from Tashkent. We are learning the Hindi language and are very impressed by India's culture. We have a great desire to welcome you to Tashkent. Narendra Modi ji, Tashkent is waiting for you."
Highlighting India-Uzbekistan ties, a student noted, "Respected greetings, honourable Prime Minister ji. The friendship between India and Uzbekistan is very special to us. We hope that you will come to Tashkent soon. We are waiting for you."
This comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on his two-nation visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on Saturday, expressing confidence that the diplomatic engagement will reinforce India's strategic partnerships across Central Asia.
Commencing the itinerary, the Prime Minister will first travel to Tashkent for a two-day bilateral visit at the invitation of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Outlining expectations for the bilateral engagement, PM Modi said in his departure statement, "In recent years, 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, energy, and on advancing our shared visions of Viksit Bharat and Yangi Uzbekistan."
As part of the schedule in the Uzbek capital, the Prime Minister noted that he will also visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, which he described as "a tribute to the close cultural and people-to-people ties" connecting both countries.
This marks PM Modi's fourth visit to Uzbekistan, following previous diplomatic engagements in 2015, alongside subsequent visits in 2016 and 2022 to attend SCO Summits. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation between New Delhi and Tashkent has expanded steadily over the years, highlighted by President Mirziyoyev's State Visit to India in 2018 and his participation in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in 2019.
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. (ANI)
"Happy to see enthusiasm of my young friends": PM Modi praises Uzbek students for warm Hindi welcome ahead of visit
