New Delhi [India], December 19 (ANI): Noting the common historical, cultural and linguistic roots among the participating countries, Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin on Sunday said that dialogue plays a significant role in improving our connectivity and increasing trade in the region, as well as for forging closer ties between the people of India and Central Asia.
In his opening remarks at the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue, Muhriddin said,” Cooperation with India, including within the framework of the India-Central Asia Dialogue and other mechanisms of regional cooperation has particular importance for Tajikistan.”
Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries next year, the minister said that “Tajikistan considers dialogue as a key to the development and strengthening of mutually beneficial partnerships.”
He said the dialogue plays a significant role in “improving our connectivity and increasing trade, as well as forging closer ties between the people of India and Central Asia.” “The ties of India and Central Asia is based on common historical, cultural, and linguistic roots that our countries preserved for many centuries.”
The minister noted that India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. “…a powerful industrial base has been created (in India) and considerable scientific and technical potential has been accumulated. Both advantages create a favorable basis for increasing mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, industry, energy, health, education, agriculture, and other areas.”
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is hosting the third meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue aimed to further strengthen ties between the member countries, with a particular focus on trade, connectivity, and development cooperation.
This Dialogue is seeing the participation from Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. It assumes importance due to the ongoing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Assuring India’s readiness to take diplomatic relations to the next level, Jaishankar in his opening remarks said that India-Central Asia relations must focus on 4Cs — Commerce, Capacity enhancement, Connectivity, and Contacts.
The minister noted that this meeting comes amid a rapidly changing global, economic, and political situation.
Earlier on Saturday, Jaishankar met with Tajikistan foreign minister and exchanged views on expanding bilateral cooperation in energy, connectivity, trade, security, and capacity building. Both ministers also signed agreements on diplomatic training and program of cooperation. (ANI)
India strategic partner of Central Asian countries: Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister
Highlighting that India and Central Asian countries share deep-rooted historical relations, Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev on Sunday said that New Delhi is the strategic partner of all countries in the region.
In his opening remarks at the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue here, Kazakbaev said his country is very grateful for having diplomatic relations with India.
“I’m very happy to say that we are having good relations and talks with India in the Central Asia region, which provides the dynamics of relations,” he said, adding that dialogues between participating countries in such meetings are fruitful.
Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister said that being in Central Asia, at the center of the world, it has very warm relations with the Indian side, and both share deep-rooted historical relations.
“Today, India is the strategical partner for all countries of Central Asia and we have like political and economic, cultural relations and partnership and cooperation,” he said.
While recalling the recent talks on Afghanistan, Kazakbaev said a “special place of our relations is security and we are happy that we had recently talked about Afghanistan about the safety and security of the region.”
“We are ready to support and collaborate in all the measurements to make this region safer. And we wish that further also we would develop our relations,” he said.
Jaishankar is hosting the third meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue aiming to further strengthen ties between the member countries, with a particular focus on trade, connectivity, and development cooperation. This dialogue is seeing the participation from Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. It assumes importance due to the ongoing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban’s takeover of the country, Jaishankar has met several of the participating ministers for talks focusing on the issues concerning the troubled country. (ANI)
