Cooperation necessary for regional stability, says PM Modi at first India-Central Asia Summit

PM Modi set a three-point agenda for the virtual summit in his remarks on Thursday. Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyzstan's Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmenistan's Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow were among the five heads of state who attended the meeting.

In his opening remarks to the inaugural India-Crucial Asia Summit on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Central Asia is essential to India's vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood. The first meeting was held by India. Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyzstan's Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmenistan's Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow were among the five heads of state who attended the meeting.

Speaking virtually to his colleagues, PM Modi stated that India's diplomatic relations with Central Asian countries had now lasted 30 years. "Our collaboration has achieved numerous triumphs over the previous three decades, and now, at this critical moment, we need an ambitious vision for the years ahead, a vision that can meet the hopes of our young people," he added.

Prime Minister Modi also stated that India and the five Central Asian nations share the same regional security concerns and goals. He went on to say, in reference to the Taliban takeover, "We are concerned about the recent developments in Afghanistan. In this scenario, our collaboration has become even more critical for regional security and stability."

Afghanistan was one of the major topics covered at the third edition of the India-Central Asia Foreign Ministers Dialogue, which took place in December of last year. PM Modi set a three-point agenda for the virtual summit in his remarks on Thursday. "Coordination between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and stability," he said, adding that the second goal is to provide this collaboration with a "effective framework" that can be assured by regular engagement between diverse stakeholders at various levels.

The third goal of the India-Central Asia Summit, according to PM Modi, is to build an aspirational roadmap. "This will allow us to take a more integrated approach to regional connectivity and collaboration over the next three years," he told his peers. During his opening comments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Kazakhstan as a critical partner for India's energy security. He further stated that various Indian states are actively coordinating with Uzbekistan on various problems.