PM Narendra Modi to virtually host first India-Central Asia Summit on January 27

The summit exemplifies the importance that the leaders of India and Central Asia place on a comprehensive and long-term India-Central Asia partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the first India-Central Asia Summit on Thursday. The leaders are expected to discuss measures to take relations to new heights and the evolving regional security situation during the virtual summit.

The five Presidents who will participate in the Summit are Kazakhastan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan's Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyz Republic. 

As per the Ministry of External Affairs, this summit is the first engagement between India and Central Asian countries at this level of leaders. The summit exemplifies the importance that India and Central Asia leaders place on a comprehensive and long-term India-Central Asia partnership.

In November last year, the participation of the secretaries of the National Security Councils of Central Asian countries in the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held in New Delhi outlined a common regional approach on Afghanistan. 

Furthermore, the summit takes place a day after Republic Day, which had no foreign head of state or government as the chief guest. The five Central Asian countries' leaders were expected to be the chief guests, however, due to the rise in Covid-19 cases, no guests were invited.

Following the Ministry of the External Affairs, the first India-Central Asia Summit reflects the country's increasing engagements with the Central Asian countries, which are also India's 'extended neighbourhood'. 

Back in 2015, PM Modi visited all the Central Asian countries. Later, there have been high-level exchanges at bilateral and multilateral forums.

While in this summit, the leaders are expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of interest, especially the evolving regional security situation. 

The establishment of the India-Central Asia Dialogue at the level of Foreign Ministers, the third meeting held in New Delhi from December 18-20, 2021, has boosted India-Central Asia relations.