Foreign Minister S Jaishankar thanked the Central Asian countries for his support in condemning the Pahgam terror attack on 22 April, giving his initial remarks in the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue.
“I appreciate that your country stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack in Pahgam in April,” Jayashankar said.
Jaishankar admitted that India’s relations with Central Asian countries have developed in many millennia.
“We have marked three decades of our contemporary diplomatic relations with our Central Asian partners in 2022. We have worked together and placed a legal and institutional structure, which personally provided foundation to carry forward our mutually profitable cooperation with each other.
Jaishankar said that relations with these countries have developed greatly with the bond of civilization.
“India cherishes its millennium-old civilization and cultural relations with Central Asia.
He said that the relationship, especially in terms of trade, has improved in the last decade, and the Central Asian countries remain an attractive student destination to pursue higher studies.
“Trade, economic and investment relations have strengthened in the last decade. Today, we have a well connected by many direct flights, more than our increased connectivity has two-way tourist flows and businesses. A large number of Indian students chase higher education in your countries, strengthen the bond between us.”
Jaishankar said that India remains a reliable development partner for Central Asian countries.
“India remains a reliable development partner for all of you. In collaboration with I-tech training slots and ICCR scholarships, which are the most famous forms of our development partnership, we have also started providing high-effect Community Development Projects for Socio-Economic Development as an Indian grant for socio-economic development.
“It is our mutual belief of the importance of cooperation of India-Central Asia that we raised it for the first time in January 2022 as a virtual summit, which added more strands in our cooperation. Today, there are notable features between the views of representatives and special training classes for the exchange of business ministers, ministers and NSAS exchange.”
Jaishankar further spoke about its discussion on digital technology and Fintech on Thursday, which would potentially promote existing relations in various fields.
He said, “Yesterday, we discussed a fruitful discussion to remove obstacles in the India Central Asia Business Council and add cooperation in digital technology, fintech, and inter-bank relations, so that we could realize our full potential of our economic cooperation.”
Jaishankar said that both India and Central Asian partners are committed to transporting outstanding cooperation in both regions, and hopefully the idea -discipline will help strengthen these relations.
“India and Central Asian partners are committed to pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields, especially business and investment, defense, agro processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, regional connectivity, security, education, culture, will help people as well as new and emerging technologies as well as work. Which will work in the interests of people of our countries. (AI)
