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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 20 January, 2022

  • 10 Min Read

India - Central Asia Relations

India - Central Asia Relations

Mapping of Central Asia

  1. Central Asia comprises 5 countries given above between the Caspian Sea and China.
  2. Kazakhstan is the largest producer of Uranium and has huge gas and oil reserves as well.
  3. Uzbekistan is an important regional producer of gold along with Kyrgyzstan.
  4. Tajikistan has vast hydropower potential besides oil deposits, and Turkmenistan has the fourth largest gas reserves in the world.
  5. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan — are also in the Caspian littoral, thereby promising to open the door to other energy-rich Caspian states.

India's strategy for Central Asia

  • Central Asia is now considered an Extended Neighbourhood.
  • In 2004, 1st time India started the Look West Asia Policy and then Connecting Central Asia Policy.
  • India constructed Farakhor's military base in Tajikistan.
  • India is conducting Khanjar military exercises with Kazakhstan.
  • SCO membership. India is re-exploring a transit corridor to Central Asia through Pakistan under SCO.
  • INSTC (North-South Transport Corridor): link India and Iran via the sea route and then through Iran to the Caspian Sea onwards to Central Asia. Chabahar Port in Iran. INSTC's extension goes through Kazakhastan through Zaranj-Delaram road.
  • Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI): It is the proposed natural gas pipeline that runs from Galkynysh field (Turkmenistan) – Herat – Kandahar – Multan - Fazilika (Pak-India Border). IPI Pipeline.
  • India acceded to Ashgabat Agreement: an international transport and transit corridor facilitating the transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.
  • India is negotiating with Eurasian Economic Union (EEU):, which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

India – Central Asia Summit

  • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be hosting the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Summit, with the participation of the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, in a virtual format on 27 January 2022.
  • This will be the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders.
  • The first India-Central Asia Summit is a reflection of India’s growing engagement with the Central Asian countries, which are a part of India’s "Extended Neighbourhood”.
  • During the first India-Central Asia Summit, the Leaders are expected to discuss steps to take forward India-Central Asia relations to newer heights. They are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of interest, especially the evolving regional security situation.
  • The Summit is symbolic of the importance attached by the Leaders of India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership.

Source: PIB


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