PM addresses the statement to media during the Joint Press Briefing with President of Uzbekistan at Tashkent
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His Excellency President Islam Karimov, President of Uzbekistan, Members of the Media,

I am delighted to be in the historic and beautiful city of Tashkent. It carries the warmth of familiarity that comes from sights and stories we grow up with.

I thank President Karimov and the people of Uzbekistan for their very warm welcome and hospitality.

It is a pleasure to meet President Karimov. He has led with great vision and wisdom to steer Uzbekistan’s progress and advance peace and prosperity in the region.

Today, I have embarked on a five-nation tour of Central Asia. It reflects our resolve to start a new era in our relations with Central Asian Republics.

Our relationship with the region has ancient roots and has left a strong imprint on both. It now occupies a significant place in India’s future.

I have begun my journey in Uzbekistan. This underlines this nation’s importance for India, not just in the context of this region, but also more broadly in Asia.

In recent years, India and Uzbekistan have built a strategic partnership on the foundation of mutual respect and shared interests.

This includes expanding economic cooperation, combating terrorism, advancing stability in the region and promoting regional integration.

President Karimov and I had very cordial and productive discussions. His perspectives will be of immense benefit to me in the days ahead.

I share President Karimov’s desire to raise the level of our economic engagement. I conveyed to him that there is a strong interest in Indian business to invest in Uzbekistan. There is immense potential in a broad range of areas in Uzbekistan. I have urged him to make the process and the policies for Indian investments here smoother. President responded positively to my suggestion.

President was also supportive of strengthening our ongoing cooperation in the areas of agriculture, Information Technology and energy.

We also discussed steps needed to implement the contract for supply of uranium from Uzbekistan signed earlier.

President Karimov and I discussed various initiatives to further enhance connectivity between India and Uzbekistan.

I briefed him about the International North South Transport Corridor and proposed that Uzbekistan consider becoming a member. I sought his support for India joining the Ashgabat Agreement.

I am pleased with the agreements in the areas of Culture and Tourism, because they will bring our people closer.

Few countries can match Uzbekistan in nurturing Hindi and Indian culture. Tomorrow, I look forward to meeting a vibrant group of Indologists and Hindi linguists.

India will expand cooperation in capacity building through increase in the number of training offers in India. Consistent with our commitment, the Uzbekistan-India Information Technology Centre has been upgraded this year.

I welcome President Karimov’s assurance to ensure speedy completion of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre being set up in Tashkent.

We also discussed regional and international issues, including the situation in Afghanistan. We also have shared concerns on the rising threat of extremism and terrorism in our extended neighbourhood.

We agreed to intensify security cooperation and exchanges. The bilateral Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism will meet later this year. We also agreed to strenghen cooperation in defence and cyber security.

We look forward to working together within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Tomorrow, I will be paying a visit to the Monument of Independence and Humanism and the Memorial of Late Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. We are thankful to the people of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, for preserving the legacy of our former Prime Minister.

This has been a very rewarding visit. It has sown the seeds of a rich harvest in the years ahead.

I look forward to the opportunity of receiving President Karimov in India.

Thank you again for your hospitality and a wonderful meeting. Thank You.

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PM Modi addresses a grand public rally in Guwahati, Assam
February 14, 2026
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In 70 years of Congress rule, only 3 bridges were built over the Brahmaputra; in the last 10 to 11 years, BJP NDA has completed 5 major bridges: PM in Assam rally

PM Modi addressed a massive public rally in Guwahati, where he said the recent Union Budget has further strengthened the vision of the BJP-NDA for the development of Assam and the North East. Calling the North East “Ashtalakshmi,” he said the region was ignored for decades by Congress but is now being served with dedication.

He said this year’s Budget places strong emphasis on making the North East economically self-reliant. Assam will receive nearly fifty thousand crore rupees as its share of taxes this year, compared to only ten thousand crore rupees during the Congress era. He questioned whether a party that hesitated to give funds for Assam’s development could ever truly develop the state.

The Prime Minister said the Budget has further boosted connectivity in the region, noting that improved highways and road projects worth thousands of crores will expand employment and tourism. Referring to Pariksha Pe Charcha held aboard a cruise on the Brahmaputra, he said river tourism will be expanded further with provisions made in the Budget.

Highlighting a historic moment, PM Modi said the landing of an Air Force aircraft on a highway in Moran reflects Assam’s growing strength. He said there was a time when the North East was associated with broken roads, but today, highways are being built where even aircraft can land. He credited the BJP government in Assam and the spirit of “Mera Booth Sabse Majboot” for this transformation. He urged workers to safeguard every vote at every booth.

On national security, the PM said the new emergency landing strip symbolises a New India that is fully prepared to defend itself. Paying tribute to the brave soldiers martyred in the Pulwama attack, he said the world has seen how India responds firmly to terrorism. He stated that Congress never prioritised national security and kept the North East in fear and instability.

Contrasting development under BJP and Congress, PM Modi said that in seventy years of Congress rule, only three bridges were built over the Brahmaputra. In the last ten to eleven years, BJP-NDA has completed five major bridges. He said Congress gave Assam problems while BJP delivered solutions. He added that several more bridges are under construction, which will accelerate growth across Assam and the North East.

PM Modi said that the BJP ensures that every major national initiative benefits Assam and the North East simultaneously. Assam was connected early to Vande Bharat trains and recently became the starting point of the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train. He said Assam is emerging as a growth engine in the semiconductor sector.

On digital connectivity, he said, while Congress failed to expand 3G and 4G effectively to the region, the BJP ensured 5G reached villages across Assam and the North East through a saturation approach. Guwahati youth are now benefiting from high-speed internet, and the new NIC Data Centre will create further opportunities.

In healthcare, PM Modi said that in 2014, India had only six AIIMS, but today there are more than twenty, including AIIMS Guwahati. Several medical colleges and cancer hospitals have also been established in Assam. He announced approval of the PM Relief Scheme.

He highlighted the expansion of higher education institutions such as IIM Palashbari, the modernisation of IIT Guwahati, and the establishment of IARI in Assam, which will create new technology leaders.

Speaking about peace and stability, PM Modi said Congress kept Assam disturbed for decades with violence, blockades and unrest. He said the BJP NDA has restored peace, with several groups, including Bodo, Karbi, Adivasi, DNLA and ULFA, choosing the path of the Constitution over violence. He warned that Congress, frustrated after being out of power for ten years, wants to push Assam back into instability and hand it over to infiltrators. He said the people must remain alert and protect Assam’s identity.

Concluding his address, PM Modi thanked the people of Assam for their continued trust and said with Modi ki Guarantee and a strong BJP NDA government, Assam will continue to move ahead on the path of peace, security and rapid development.