Context
Recently, the first India-Central Asia Summit was hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
- This first India-Central Asia coincided with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Central Asian countries.
Key-Points
- India-Central Asia Summit was held virtually between India and Central Asian Countries.
- India and central Asian Countries agreed to institutionalize the Summit mechanism by deciding to hold India-Central Asia Summit every 2 years.
- They also agreed on regular meetings of Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers, Culture Ministers and Secretaries of the Security Council to prepare the groundwork for the Summit meetings.
- At the First India-Central Asia Virtual Summit, it was decided to set up an India-Central Asia Secretariat in New Delhi to support the new India-Central Asia Summit mechanism.
- In this Summit, the leaders discussed proposals to further cooperation in areas of trade and connectivity, development cooperation, defence and security, and cultural and people-to-people contacts. These include-
- Round-Table on Energy and Connectivity.
- Joint Working Groups at senior official level on Afghanistan and use of Chabahar Port.
- Showcasing of Buddhist exhibitions in Central Asian countries.
- Commissioning of an India-Central Asia dictionary of common words.
- Joint counter-terrorism exercises.
- Visit of 100 members youth delegation annually from Central Asian countries to India.
- Special courses for Central Asian diplomats.
- In the summit,The leaders reiterated their strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan with a truly representative and inclusive government.
- The Prime Minister conveyed India’s continued commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
Significance of the Summit
- The countries share their boundaries with Afghanistan. Afghanistan was taken over by Taliban after the US left Afghan soil in August 2021.
- This left Indian developmental works in Afghanistan incomplete. Also, the Indian investments made towards the development of Afghanistan went in vain.
- Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic share their boundaries with China. India is now involved in a 21 – month standoff with China.
About Central Asia
- Central Asia is a region in Asia which stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north.
- It includes the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
- All five nations became independent states after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, post-Cold war.
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