Tashkent: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders, the ‘OliyDarajali Do’stlik’ Order, which he dedicated to the “enduring” bond between New Delhi and Tashkent.
The Uzbek honour adds to a list of top state and civilian awards conferred on Modi by close to three dozen countries in recognition of his leadership and contribution to bilateral ties.
Modi is in Uzbekistan on a two-day visit to bolster ties in a range of areas including trade, clean energy and connectivity.
The prime minister was conferred with the honour by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
“Honoured to receive the OliyDarajaliDo’stlik Order. I dedicate this to the enduring bond between India and Uzbekistan,” Modi said in a social media post.
The Ministry of External Affairs said on X that the prime minister was conferred the honour for his “contribution in strengthening the friendship between the two countries”.
“PM dedicated the accolade to the 1.4 billion people of India and highlighted that it is a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two civilisations,” it said.
In his remarks, Modi said receiving the award was a matter of great pride for him.
He said the people of India are very familiar with the word used for the award — ‘Dostlik’.
“There is hardly a family in India where the word ‘Dostlik’ is not spoken a hundred times a day. Today, you have truly brought out the essence of it. ‘Dostlik’ means friendship. The word itself beautifully expresses the sentiment at the heart of the relationship between India and Uzbekistan,” he said.
Modi said receiving the award was not his personal honour but an honour for 1.4 billion Indians.
“On behalf of all Indians, I sincerely thank the people of Uzbekistan, the government, and my dear friend, the President. I accept this highest honour with utmost humility and dedicate it to the centuries-old friendship between our two countries and our shared heritage,” he said.
In July, Indonesia conferred upon Modi its highest civilian award, the ‘Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia’, recognising his contribution to strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
In June, Seychelles conferred its highest national honour, the ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’, on Modi in recognition of his leadership in environmental conservation and sustainable development.
Earlier this year, Israel conferred upon him the ‘Medal of the Knesset’, making him the first recipient of the honour.
Russia conferred upon Modi the ‘Order of St. Andrew the Apostle’ in 2024, the country’s highest state decoration, for his contribution to deepening the strategic partnership between India and Russia.
The United States also awarded Modi one of the country’s top honours, the ‘Legion of Merit’, in 2020 in recognition of his leadership in strengthening the India-US strategic partnership.
On Sunday, Modi held talks with Mirziyoyev, following which India and Uzbekistan decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The two countries also set a target of USD 5 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 and agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, digital public infrastructure, defence, healthcare, critical minerals, agriculture, education and tourism.
The prime minister is scheduled to travel to Kyrgyzstan from Tashkent to participate in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on August 31-September 1.
Meanwhile, he arrived in Kyrgyzstan, where he is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
The prime minister was received at the airport by KasymalievAdylbek Aleshovich, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.
A traditional Kyrgyz dance performance was also held at the airport to welcome the prime minister.
Modi is visiting Kyrgyzstan at the invitation of President Sadyr Zhaparov to participate in the 26th SCO Summit on August 31-September 1.
The 10-member SCO is marking 25 years of the organisation.
It was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with India and Pakistan joining as full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with SCO leaders, including with Kyrgyz President Zhaparov and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the summit.
In his departure statement on Saturday, Modi said he looked forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in “security, connectivity and opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism”.
“I also look forward to meeting President Zhaparov and other SCO leaders,” he said.
He will also attend the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games.
The prime minister said this visit will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen its civilisational connect with the region, and advance a shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity.
