I Feel At Home In India: Former Uzbek Envoy To India Dilshod Akhatov

NEW DELHI: In an interview for Ambassador’s brief, (our new series on StratNewsGlobal), just before his term in India ended in September, ambassador Dilshod Akhatov explains that the relationship between the two nations stretches all the way back to the Spice Route, “thousands of years ago.” This ancient relationship is underlined by similar cultures and cuisine, and almost 5,000 similar/common words in Uzbek and Hindi. One of Uzbekistan’s seniormost diplomats, Akhatov said that the relationship still had immense opportunities, as seen in the agreements of cooperation between the Andijan region and the State of Gujarat and the decision to declare the two ancient cities of Samarkand and Agra as twin cities, signed during the visit of Uzbek President in October 2018. A similar agreement of collaboration between Haryana and Fergana were also inked during Akhatov’s term. “Ten years ago, no one would have believed that there would be Indian multi-specialty hospitals in Uzbekistan, or that Indian Universities would have launched operations in Uzbekistan, he said. “Today, there are four of them.” “Even after my term here ends, India will remain the most interesting, most important part not just of my diplomatic career, but of my life,” he concluded.