Sitharaman to visit Uzbekistan from Sept 24 to 28, attend AIIB annual meet

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the 9th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) scheduled in Samarkand, and hold bilateral meetings with her counterparts from Uzbekistan, Qatar, China, and AIIB President.

She will embark on an official visit to Uzbekistan from September 24 to 28, the finance ministry said in a release.

The Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of AIIB is scheduled on September 25 and 26. The annual meeting witnesses participation of delegations from around 80 countries, and other international organisations.

"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.

As part of the official visit, she is expected to call on Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan.

During the visit, the finance minisrtry said Sitharaman will sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Uzbekistan.

The BIT will be signed by India's Finance Minister and Uzbekistan Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade.

The treaty aims to promote more extensive economic cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries on a long-term basis, the ministry said.

Sitharaman will also participate in the India-Uzbekistan Business forum discussions, jointly organised as well as represented by industry captains from both the countries.

She will also visit the Samarkand State University and Lal Bahadur Shastri Monument in Tashkent and interact with Indian diaspora representing leading voices from multiple sectors.

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