Tashkent, Oct 8 (NationPress) Smita Pant, India's Ambassador to Uzbekistan, engaged with Indian pharmaceutical companies in Uzbekistan on Wednesday to explore matters concerning joint ventures, investments, growth prospects, registration, and collaboration in traditional medicines.

The Indian Embassy in Uzbekistan shared on X, "Ambassador Smita Pant met with Indian pharma enterprises in Uzbekistan and recognized the significant contributions of the Indian pharmaceutical sector to the nation. Key topics included joint ventures, investments, growth potential, registration, and collaboration in traditional medicine."

On October 6, Pant had a discussion with Abdulla Azizov, the Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Industry Agency of Uzbekistan, focusing on issues of mutual interest and enhancing bilateral cooperation in pharmaceuticals and traditional medicines.

"Strengthening Health Partnerships between India and Uzbekistan was a key focus during Ambassador Smita Pant's meeting with Mr. Abdulla Azizov. They discussed mutual interests and collaboration in pharmaceuticals and traditional medicine," the Indian Embassy reported.

Earlier, on September 30, India and Uzbekistan convened the 9th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in Tashkent, where they deliberated on enhancing bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism through information sharing, capacity building, and exchanging best practices.

In August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China. PM Modi hailed the partnership between India and Uzbekistan as "dynamic," highlighting the ongoing expansion of cooperation across various sectors.

"I had the honor of meeting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan. The relationship between India and Uzbekistan is a dynamic partnership that continues to flourish across cultural, economic, and people-to-people ties," PM Modi communicated via X after the meeting.

Importantly, India was among the first nations to recognize Uzbekistan's state sovereignty following its independence. The protocol for establishing diplomatic relations between India and Uzbekistan was formalized in Tashkent in 1992, and the two countries declared their Strategic Partnership in 2011. Several institutionalized dialogue mechanisms are in place at political and official levels under this partnership to facilitate regular communication and follow-up on collaborative efforts.