Finance Minister Sitharaman to attend the AIIB Annual Meeting in Uzbekistan

FM Sitharaman: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to attend the 9th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 24th-28th September. There she will meet the finance ministers of Uzbekistan, Qatar, China, and AIIB President bilaterally.

In September, the AIIB Annual Meeting of September 25-26 will gather delegations from over 80 countries and several international organisations. Sitharaman will represent the Indian Governor to AIIB, in which India is the second-largest shareholder.

The finance ministry said Sitharaman is poised to hold talks with Uzbekistan's President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty to deepen economic cooperation between India and Uzbekistan. "The treaty will be signed in the presence of Uzbekistan's Minister for Investment, Industry, and Trade, and aligned both ways to see mutual benefits in the long term," the official said.

Besides her official engagements, Sitharaman would also discuss matters of interest on the occasion of the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum, which would see senior industrialists from both countries, and pay a visit to Samarkand State University as well as Lal Bahadur Shastri Monument in Tashkent and interact with the Indian diaspora.

The AIIB is keen on sustainable infrastructure development across Asia and investing in projects that foster economic growth and connectivity. Sitharaman's presence speaks to India's strong commitment to this kind of regional cooperation on development projects.