Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the Order of Oliy Darajali Do‘stlik, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his two-day state visit to the Central Asian country.
The prestigious award was presented to Modi at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent on Sunday. It recognises his contribution to strengthening the long-standing and friendly relationship between India and Uzbekistan.
Accepting the honour, Modi thanked President Mirziyoyev and the people of Uzbekistan, describing the award as a moment of “immense pride”. He particularly highlighted the word “Dostlik”, which means friendship, saying it reflected the core sentiment of relations between the two countries.
Modi said the honour was not meant for him alone but belonged to the 1.4 billion people of India. He dedicated the award to the centuries-old friendship and shared heritage between India and Uzbekistan.
“The true recipients are my thousands-of-years-old heritage, and the perseverance and hard work of 1.4 billion fellow citizens,” Modi said while expressing his gratitude.
The Prime Minister also praised President Mirziyoyev's leadership and his role in strengthening bilateral relations. He said ties between India and Uzbekistan had continued to grow and had now been elevated to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
During his visit, Modi and Mirziyoyev held delegation-level discussions aimed at expanding cooperation across several areas. The two sides discussed ways to further deepen bilateral ties and strengthen collaboration between the two countries.
Modi said the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation had made the visit particularly memorable. He described Mirziyoyev as a friend and thanked him for the hospitality shown during the visit.
The Indian Prime Minister also linked the honour to India's long civilisational tradition and its philosophy of universal brotherhood, or “Vishwa Bandhutva”. He said the recognition represented the friendship between the people of India and Uzbekistan rather than the achievement of an individual.
The Order of Oliy Darajali Do‘stlik has previously been awarded to several prominent international leaders. Among them are Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, former Turkmenistan leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Modi said the award also brings a greater sense of responsibility and reaffirmed India's commitment to its close friendship with Uzbekistan.
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