India and Uzbekistan

♦ India and Uzbekistan held the 17th Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi on 13 May 2026, focusing on strengthening ties in trade, investment, energy, technology and education. Both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations with a focus on trade and investment, tourism, technology, innovation, energy, cooperation in educational and cultural fields, and other consular issues. 

♦ India and Uzbekistan share ties that go back deep into ancient history. India was one of the first countries to recognise the state sovereignty of Uzbekistan after its independence. 

♦ The protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries was signed in Tashkent in 1992, according to the MEA. The two countries elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership in 2011.

India and Japan

♦ India and Japan held the second round of the India-Japan Economic Security Dialogue in New Delhi on 11 May 2026, with discussions focusing on strengthening cooperation in strategic sectors such as critical minerals, semiconductors, clean energy, pharmaceuticals and emerging technologies. The dialogue was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri along with Japan’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi and Vice Minister for International Affairs in Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Takehiko Matsuo.

♦ According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Economic Security Dialogue serves as the institutional mechanism to oversee progress under the Economic Security Initiative announced by the prime ministers of India and Japan during the 15th Annual Summit in Tokyo in August 2025.

♦ The discussions focused on industrial and technological collaboration in five sectors — critical minerals, semiconductors, information and communication technology including artificial intelligence and telecom, clean energy, and pharmaceuticals.

India hosted the 35th Plenary and Working Groups meetings

♦ India hosted the 35th Plenary and Working Groups meetings of the ISO TC 20 / SC 14 ‘Space Systems and Operations’ subcommittee of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) at New Delhi. This was  organised by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The event witnessed participation of 131 international delegates from 13 countries representing National Standards Bodies, experts from International Space Agencies including ISRO from India, Space Industry, and Academia.

♦ The event covered the entire lifecycle of space systems — from design and production to launch, operations and space-based services — with key focus areas including: Mission safety, Interoperability, Space debris mitigation, Long-term sustainability of space operations.