Uzbekistan

About Uzbekistan

• Doubly Landlocked State: One of only two doubly landlocked countries globally (along with Liechtenstein), bordered entirely by landlocked nations.
• Land Borders: Kazakhstan (North/West), Kyrgyzstan (East), Tajikistan (South-East), Afghanistan (South), and Turkmenistan (South-West).
• Drainage Basin: Drained by Central Asia’s two major rivers—the Amu Darya (Oxus) and the Syr Darya (Jaxartes).

Key Landscapes of Uzbekistan:

• Kyzylkum Desert: Spans central and western lowlands (shared with Kazakhstan).
• Fergana Valley: Densely populated agricultural basin in the east.
• Aral Sea Crisis: Endorheic lake shared with Kazakhstan; massive water diversion for Soviet-era cotton monoculture transformed dry seabed areas into the Aralkum Desert.

Silk Road Buddhist Heritage: Southern Uzbekistan

• Fayaz Tepa & Kara Tepa: Ancient 1st–3rd century CE Buddhist monastic sites near Termez along the Amu Darya (ancient Bactria/Tokharistan).
• Historical Role: Functioned as key transit centres for the northern transmission of Buddhism into China and East Asia.
• Kushan Patronage: Developed under Kushan emperors (such as Kanishka I); feature Gandharan-style stupas, viharas, and multilingual inscriptions (Brahmi, Kharosthi, and Bactrian).

India and Uzbekistan Relations

• Civil Nuclear Energy: Framework for long-term uranium supply to support India’s IAEA-safeguarded civil nuclear reactors.
• Connectivity & Trade: Target of $5 billion bilateral trade by 2030; integration with the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Ashgabat Agreement, and the Chabahar Port route.
• Defence Cooperation: Annual bilateral army exercise—Exercise DUSTLIK.
• Fintech Integration: Interlinking NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) with Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre (HUMO) to enable UPI–UZQR merchant transactions.

Conclusion

The elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership strengthens India’s Connect Central Asia Policy, securing long-term energy security through uranium supply while revitalizing deep civilizational and cultural linkages rooted in ancient Silk Road Buddhist heritage.