Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit. The virtual event saw the participation of Presidents of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
In the Summit, PM Modi said all of them share same concerns and goals with regard to regional security. He said that all are concerned about the developments in Afghanistan. "In this context, mutual cooperation among us has become more important for regional security and stability," he added.
The Prime Minister said today's summit has three goals.
The first goal is to make it clear that mutual cooperation between India and Central Asia is necessary for regional security and prosperity, he said. "I want to make it clear that Central Asia is central to India's vision of an integrated and stable neighbourhood," he added.
"The second goal of the meeting is to give an effective structure to our cooperation, which will pave the way for the establishment of a platform for regular interaction among all stakeholders," PM Modi said.
"The third goal is to prepare an ambitious roadmap for our cooperation, which will enable us to adopt an integrated approach for regional connectivity and cooperation," he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in an earlier statement said this will be the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders.
"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," the MEA said.
Prime Minister Modi paid a historic visit to all Central Asian countries in 2015. Subsequently, there have been high-level exchanges at bilateral and multilateral forums.
The inception of the India-Central Asia Dialogue at the Foreign Ministers' level, the 3rd meeting of which was held in New Delhi from December 18-20, 2021, has provided an impetus to India-Central Asia relations.
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, 2021, outlined a common regional approach towards Afghanistan.
(With ANI inputs)
