India-Central Asia cooperation key to regional stability: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Central Asia is central to India's vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood. In his opening remarks at the first India-Central Asia Summit on Thursday, Modi stated that they have similar concerns for regional security and are concerned about the developments in Afghanistan. He stressed that this mutual cooperation has become more important in this context for regional security and stability. Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the Summit. Modi also referred to India’s close ties with all the Central Asian states at a bilateral level, and described Kazakhstan as an important partner for the country’s energy security. “I express my condolences for the recent loss of life and property in Kazakhstan,” he said, referring to violent protests over a rise in gas prices in that country.

India’s state governments are active partners in growing cooperation with Uzbekistan, while there is an active partnership with Kyrgyzstan in education and high-altitude research. “Thousands of Indian students are studying there,” Modi said.“We have long-standing cooperation in the field of security with Tajikistan, and we are continuously strengthening it,” he said. Modi described Turkmenistan as an important part of India’s vision for regional connectivity, and said this was evident from “our participation in the Ashgabat Agreement”. 
The Prime Minister highlighted that there are three main objectives of today's Summit and the first is to make it clear that mutual cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and prosperity. He said the second objective of the Summit is to give a structure to India Central Asia cooperation. He said doing so will establish a framework of  regular interactions at different levels. Another objective is to create an ambitious roadmap for India Central Asia cooperation. Modi said  diplomatic relations between India and Central Asian nations have completed 30 fruitful years. He said this cooperation has received many successes over the past three decades. He said it is time to define an ambitious vision for the coming years as well.

Connectivity, trade, forging an institutionalised framework for cooperation and the situation in Afghanistan were on the agenda for the summit, the first interaction of its kind between the leaders of the six countries. India has sharpened it focus on Central Asian both to counter China’s growing presence in the region and to strengthen cooperation on Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of that country.
       
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