External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Central Asian countries, reiterating a mutual condemnation of terrorism and a commitment to strengthening counter-terrorism efforts. The meetings took place in New Delhi on Thursday, ahead of the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue.
Foreign ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are in New Delhi for the two-day Dialogue, as India seeks to deepen anti-terror and de-radicalization partnerships across the region.
During his meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Jaishankar emphasized the need to firmly counter terrorism in the region and discussed furthering cooperation, including trade, investment, and connectivity ties. He also met with Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, appreciating Kazakhstan's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism. Discussions covered various aspects of the strategic partnership between India and Kazakhstan, with a focus on political, trade, investment, and energy cooperation, as well as widening connectivity with the Central Asia region.
Jaishankar also met with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev, thanking him for Kyrgyzstan's support in countering terrorism and discussing cooperation in banking, education, energy, health, connectivity, and capacity building. In a meeting with Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Jaishankar welcomed Turkmenistan's strong condemnation of all forms of terrorism and discussed deepening cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, health, and energy sectors.
The External Affairs Minister is hosting the five Central Asian foreign ministers amid continued incidents of cross-border terrorism.
The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in January 2019, serves as a key platform for strengthening ties between India and Central Asia. The dialogue has focused on regional security, counter-terrorism, infrastructure development, and connectivity. India also has annual military exercises with Kazakhstan (“KazInd”), the Kyrgyz Republic (“Khanjar”), and Uzbekistan (“Dustlik”).
