Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Nirmala Sitharaman, the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India, will embark on an official visit to Uzbekistan on 24 September 2024, the Ministry’s press service announced.

During her visit, the Minister will sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Uzbekistan.

Additionally, Nirmala Sitharaman will participate in the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which will take place in Samarkand during the same period. The Indian delegation will include representatives from the Ministry of Finance and business delegates from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Minister Sitharaman and Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, will take part in a business forum organized jointly with FICCI and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan. The BIT will be signed by both ministers in the presence of the business delegation to facilitate broader economic cooperation on a long-term basis.

During her official visit, the minister is expected to meet with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and hold other important bilateral meetings with ministers from various countries and international organizations.

At the AIIB annual meeting, Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will participate as the Indian governor. Delegations from approximately 80 countries and other international organizations are expected to attend. As a multilateral investment bank, the AIIB focuses on developing sustainable infrastructure in Asia and promoting investments in infrastructure and manufacturing sectors to foster sustainable economic development. India is the second-largest shareholder in the bank, and multilateral discussions will address a wide range of important global development issues.

Furthermore, the minister will visit Samarkand State University and the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Tashkent and will participate in an event for the Indian diaspora.