Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L Murugan represented India at the opening of the 15th Tashkent International Film Festival (TIFF) yesterday. The Indian delegation comprised of senior film producer and director Umesh Mehra and officials of the National Film Development Corporation. India and Uzbekistan have a strong tradition of cooperation in filmmaking going back to the Soviet era. These links are sought to be strengthened by the joint work of NFDC and Uzbek Films.

Earlier, Dr. Murugan met Uzbek Culture and Tourism Minister Ozodbek Nazarbekov. Both sides noted the traditional friendship and cooperation between the countries and agreed upon the need to expand bilateral ties in various fields including filmmaking and culture.

Dr. Murugan briefed the Uzbek side on the tremendous growth seen in India's audio-visual sector due to the robust policies of the Government. He offered India's cooperation in the sphere of co-production, shooting and post-production. India is also ready to offer training for Uzbek filmmakers and students at institutions like the Films and Television Institute of India.