Nirmala Sitharaman visit to Uzbekistan: AIIB annual bilateral meeting, economic cooperation in focus

Nirmala Sitharaman visit to Uzbekistan: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to Uzbekistan on an official visit from September 24-28 to attend the 9th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), PTI reported.

It added that the AIIB meeting is scheduled for September 25-26 in Samarkand. Delegates from about 80 countries and other international organisations will participate. Sitharaman will meet the AIIB President and hold bilateral meetings with her Uzbekistan, Qatar, and China counterparts, it said.

"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 finance ministry said in its release.

Sitharaman in Uzbekistan

• Attend the 9th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
• The release added that Sitharaman is also expected to meet Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as part of the official visit.

• During the visit, the finance minister and Uzbekistan's Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade will sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) aimed at promoting "more extensive economic cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries on a long-term basis," according to the ministry release.
• She will also participate in the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum discussions, which are jointly organized and attended by industry captains from both countries.

• Sitharaman is also scheduled to visit the Samarkand State University and Lal Bahadur Shastri Monument in Tashkent, and interact with the Indian diaspora who form the lead voices from multiple sectors.

As a multilateral development bank, AIIB is focused on developing sustainable infrastructure in Asia and promoting investments in infrastructure and other productive sectors, with a view to fostering sustainable economic development, creating wealth, and improving infrastructure connectivity.

(With inputs from PTI)