New Delhi, Jun 4 (PTI) India will host foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries at a conclave on Friday with a focus on jointly combating terrorism and boosting cooperation in areas of trade and technology.
New Delhi is hosting the fourth edition of Central Asia Dialogue to forge closer, wider and stronger partnership with the region, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are attending the conclave to be held in Delhi.
India has been looking at enhancing its cooperation with the Central Asian states of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the last few years amid China's persistent efforts to expand its influence in the region.
The conclave is expected to be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
"India and Central Asia, in each other's 'Extended Neighbourhood', enjoy close and cordial contemporary diplomatic relations underpinned by millennia old cultural and people-to-people exchanges," the MEA said in a statement.
The first India-Central summit was held virtually in January 2022.
The mechanism of India-Central Asia Dialogue, at the level of foreign ministers, have taken this relationship substantially forward, the MEA said.
"The ministers will discuss further strengthening of relations between India and Central Asian countries with particular focus on trade, connectivity, technology, and development cooperation," it said.
"They will also share perspectives on challenges to regional security and other regional and global issues of mutual interest," it added.
Ways to deal with challenge of terrorism will also be discussed, people familiar with the matter said.
"The India-Central Asia Dialogue is a manifestation of mutual interest on the part of India and the Central Asian countries to forge even closer, wider and stronger partnership in a spirit of friendship, trust and mutual understanding," the MEA said.
The foreign ministers will also participate in the India-Central Asia Business Council that will be hosted by on Thursday by the MEA in collaboration with FICCI.
The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in January 2019 in Samarkand, is a meeting of foreign ministers.
It serves as a key platform for strengthening ties between India and Central Asia.
The second meeting took place virtually in October 2020 and focussed on regional security, counter-terrorism, and infrastructure development.
The third meeting was held in New Delhi in December 2021 and emphasised connectivity to further deepen the ties between India and Central Asia. PTI MPB ZMN
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