Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the first India-Central Asia Summit in a virtual format on January 27. The virtual summit will also be attended by five presidents – Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon, of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyz Republic. This is the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders.
The first India-Central Asia Summit, the ministry of external affairs said, is a reflection of India’s growing engagement with the Central Asian countries, which are a part of India’s “extended neighbourhood”. The prime minister last visited all Central Asian countries in 2015.
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, the statement said.
The inception of the India-Central Asia Dialogue at Foreign Ministers’ level, the third meeting of which was held in New Delhi on December 18-20, 2021, has provided an impetus to relations.
PM to host India-Central Asia summit on Jan 27
