DUSHANBE : 3rd Meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue

DUSHANBE : External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will be hosting the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi from 18-20 December 2021. Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, apart from EAM will participate in the meeting. The 2nd meeting was organized by India in October 2020 in digital video-conference format.

There has been an active engagement between India and the five Central Asian countries over the last few years. India considers Central Asia as part of its ‘extended neighbourhood’. EAM visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan this year and met with Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan in October 2021.

As part of the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue on 19 December 2021, the Ministers are expected to discuss further strengthening of relations between India and Central Asian countries with particular focus on trade, connectivity and development cooperation. They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. The Foreign Ministers of the Central Asian countries are expected to pay a joint courtesy call on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The holding of annual meetings of the India-Central Asia Dialogue is symbolic of the interest on the part of all member countries for greater engagement between them in a spirit of friendship, trust and mutual understanding.