Ankara’s Perspective: A Strong Uzbekistan with a Wide Range of Reliable Partners Is in Everyone’s Interest
ANKARA, September 1. /”Dunyo” IA/. Professor Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, Chairman of the Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (ANKASAM), commented for “Dunyo” IA on the outcomes of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Uzbekistan on August 29–30:
— Narendra Modi’s state visit to Tashkent coincided with a time when relations between India and Uzbekistan have significantly moved beyond the scope of traditional political dialogue.
Today, substantial common interests have formed between the two countries for cooperation not only based on mutual understanding, but also with a concrete economic agenda — spanning from pharmaceuticals and healthcare to energy, the chemical industry, geology, agriculture, and mechanical engineering.
It is particularly noteworthy that this is precisely about systematic cooperation. For India, Uzbekistan is of interest as one of the most stable and open partners in Central Asia. For Tashkent, India is a major state with immense potential for developing mutual relations.
One of the strengths of contemporary Uzbek diplomacy lies precisely in this. Tashkent does not pit its partners against one another; rather, it consistently expands the ranks of those ready to engage in serious dialogue. Here, India takes its rightful place alongside China, Turkey, Europe, the Gulf states, and Uzbekistan’s other partners.
Another important aspect for me is that India is not coming to Uzbekistan to take someone else’s place. It is entering with its own interests and concrete proposals, while Tashkent has the opportunity to compare these proposals with the opportunities offered by other partners.
Precisely for this reason, it is extremely fascinating to observe the rapprochement between Uzbekistan and India from Turkey. A strong Tashkent, equipped with a wide range of reliable partners, is in the interest of every party sincerely hoping to establish long-term relations with Uzbekistan.
