Tashkent, Aug. 29 -- Indologist Bayot Rakhmatov on Saturday emphasised that relations between Uzbekistan and India have taken off rapidly since Uzbekistan gained its independence, with public fascination with Indian culture reaching an all-time high.

His comments come during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day state visit to Uzbekistan.

Speaking with ANI, Rakhmatov noted, "If we look at history, the ties between Uzbekistan and India go back a long way. However, I would like to highlight that relations between our two nations have strengthened significantly since Uzbekistan gained its independence and are developing rapidly."

Rakhmatov pointed out that the affinity between the two populations runs deep and begins early in life for ma...