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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will host the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan for the 4th meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi on June 6, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in a statement on Wednesday.
As per the MEA, previously, the 3rd meeting of the Dialogue was hosted by India in New Delhi in December 2021. MEA underscored that 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. Notably, the first India-Central Summit held virtually in January 2022 and the mechanism of India-Central Asia Dialogue, at the level of Foreign Ministers, have taken this relationship substantially forward. As per the MEA, at the 4th Dialogue, which will take place on June 6, the Ministers will discuss further strengthening of relations between India and Central Asian countries with particular focus on trade, connectivity, technology, and development cooperation. They will also share perspectives on challenges to regional security and other regional and global issues of mutual interest. The MEA also said in its statement that the Foreign Ministers will also participate in the India-Central Asia Business Council meeting, which will take place on June 5, by MEA in collaboration with FICCI. 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. Earlier in April this year, a 100-member youth delegation, comprising of young achievers from diverse fields, including entrepreneurs, academicians, artists, sportspersons and influencers, from five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) visited India on 21-28 March 2025, as part of India's initiative at the first India-Central Asia Summit held virtually in January 2022. India and Central Asia share deep-rooted historical relations marked by continuous exchange of peoples and ideas. The India-Central Asia Youth exchange initiative is a part of India's efforts to further strengthen the millennia-old people-to-people bonds and cultural exchanges which are at the heart of its mutually beneficial and multifaceted contemporary partnerships with Central Asian countries, the MEA had observed in a previous statement. (ANI)
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