PM Modi with leaders of Central Asian countries | Image: Twitter/Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be hosting the first India-Central Asia Summit on Thursday to take the ties with member nations to “newer heights”.
The virtual event will be attended by the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The summit will be symbolic to the importance that leaders of both sides have shown to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership, reported ANI.
The key focus of the summit will be on trade and connectivity issues, development partnership, culture, and people-to-people ties while regional security and the Afghanistan issue is likely to be on the agenda as well.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement that this will be the first of its kind engagement between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders.
The MEA had said, “The first India-Central Asia Summit is a reflection of India's growing engagement with the Central Asian countries, which are a part of India's "Extended Neighbourhood”.
Notably, PM Modi had, in a historic visit, travelled to all Central Asian countries in 2015. There have been high-level bilateral and multilateral exchanges since then at various forums.
The inception of the India-Central Asia Dialogue at the Foreign Ministers’ level has provided impetus to India-Central Asia relations. The third meeting of the dialogue was held from December 18 to 20 last year in Delhi.
Meanwhile, the participation of the Secretaries of National Security Councils of Central Asian countries in the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held in New Delhi on November 10, last year had outlined a common approach towards Afghanistan.
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