Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Oliy Darajali Dostlik, Uzbekistan's highest state honour, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his two day visit to Tashkent, a ceremony that capped a trip already marked by the two countries agreeing to elevate their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The award's name translates to High Level Friendship, and Uzbek officials presented it as recognition of Modi's contribution to strengthening the long standing relationship between the two countries. Mirziyoyev handed over the honour in person, a gesture that carried particular weight coming during celebrations marking fifteen years since India and Uzbekistan first established their strategic partnership.
Responding to the honour, Modi said the recognition did not belong to him personally but represented an honour for 1.4 billion Indians, and said he was accepting it with utmost humility. He dedicated the award to what he described as the centuries old friendship between the two countries and the civilisational heritage they share.
Officials on both sides pointed to the word Dostlik itself, meaning friendship, as capturing the spirit of the ties being celebrated, with the honour arriving alongside a broader set of outcomes from the visit, including the agreement to deepen cooperation on trade, energy, defence and digital connectivity that followed Modi's talks with Mirziyoyev.
The conferral adds Modi to a list of foreign leaders Uzbekistan has recognised with its top civilian honour, and comes at a moment when Tashkent and New Delhi are positioning their relationship as a model for India's broader outreach across Central Asia, a region where India has been working to expand its economic and strategic footprint.