Latest news with #India-CentralAsia
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
India seeks to bolster Central Asia trade ties
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has urged the India-Central Asia Business Council to recommend a roadmap for further deepening of India-Central Asia ties in trade, economic and investment. Addressing the Business Council meeting in the national capital, EAM Jaishankar highlighted three broad objectives for strengthening the economic partnership — deepen existing cooperation, diversify the trade basket and introduce sustainability and predictability in economic interactions. 'One, is to deepen the existing cooperation both in terms of volume and in terms of quality. There is already I think a recognition in each others countries and each others economies of the players and of the products. But, we must build further on that foundation and a very good example here is actually the pharmaceutical sector,' he told the gathering. 'Two, we need to diversify our trade baskets so that all of us have more options and we have more competition and in a way we are looking for new opportunities. I would like our friends from central Asian economies to appreciate that an economy today which is in excess of $4 trillion, which is growing at 6-8 per cent annually, it will create new demands for products, for services and even I would say in a way new demands out of more prosperous lifestyles,' EAM Jaishankar also stressed on the need to introduce greater sustainability and more predictability in economic interactions. 'That means more long-term contracts and arrangements, cross investments, joint ventures and certainly sectors like energy whether we are talking uranium, whether we are talking crude oil even potentially gas, whether we are looking at mining, If you are talking about coal or if you are discussing fertilizers, I think these are all relevant examples to reach really long term understatings between us,' the foreign minister trade and economic ties with Central Asia over the last decade have shown a very strong positive trend. Mutual trade was less than $500 million a decade ago in 2014. Today, 'what we have collectively is actually a trade volume which is almost touching $2 billion.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
India-Central Asian Foreign Ministers speak in one voice against cross-border terror & terror proxies
Productive discussions on connectivity, security, terrorism: Jaishankar at India-Central Asia Dialogue Synopsis At the fourth India-Central Asia dialogue, ministers condemned the Pahalgham terrorist attack and pledged to combat terrorism, emphasizing accountability for perpetrators and the need for UN cooperation. They expressed interest in joint rare earth exploration, supported India's UN Security Council membership, and advocated for a stable, terror-free Afghanistan. The Indian and the Central Asian Foreign Ministers on Friday unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgham and reaffirmed their firm commitment to fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. ADVERTISEMENT At the fourth India-Central Asia dialogue the Ministers also reiterated that providing safe haven, using terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, terror financing, arms and drugs trafficking, dissemination of a radical ideology and abuse of cyber space to spread disinformation and incite violence, goes against the basic principles of humanity and international relations. The Ministers without naming Pakistan and other terror infrastructure stressed that perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice. In this context, they called for early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. They stressed the need to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation and fully implement the relevant UNSC resolutions, Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and FATF Ministers expressed interest in joint exploration of rare earth and critical minerals. Appreciating the outcomes of the first India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum held in September 2024 in New Delhi, they called upon the relevant authorities to hold the second India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum meeting at the earliest convenience. The Ministers also encouraged exchange of delegations to explore new areas of cooperation in critical minerals. ADVERTISEMENT It may be pointed out that China is making big inroads into Central Asia's rare earth sector. The Ministers noted the importance of holding regular consultations among the National Security Councils of India and the Central Asian countries to strengthen efforts to counter terrorism and other emerging challenges in the region. They looked forward to the third edition of the Consultations to be held in the Kyrgyz Republic. ADVERTISEMENT The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asian countries reiterated support of their countries for permanent membership of India in an expanded and reformed UN Security Ministers reiterated their strong support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan which is free from terrorism, war and drugs. They stressed the need to stand by the people of Afghanistan. The Ministers agreed to continue close coordination and consultations on matters related to Afghanistan, according to the joint statement. ADVERTISEMENT The Ministers emphasized optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries. They stressed that connectivity initiatives should be based on the principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in an indirect reference to BRI that passes through PoK. India reiterated its support for the membership of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in INSTC. In this context, Ministers appreciated the initiative taken by Kazakhstan to develop the eastern branch of INSTC. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
India-Central Asian Foreign Ministers speak in one voice against cross-border terror & terror proxies
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Indian and the Central Asian Foreign Ministers on Friday unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgham and reaffirmed their firm commitment to fight against terrorism in all its forms and the fourth India-Central Asia dialogue the Ministers also reiterated that providing safe haven, using terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, terror financing , arms and drugs trafficking, dissemination of a radical ideology and abuse of cyber space to spread disinformation and incite violence, goes against the basic principles of humanity and international Ministers without naming Pakistan and other terror infrastructure stressed that perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice. In this context, they called for early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International stressed the need to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation and fully implement the relevant UNSC resolutions, Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and FATF Ministers expressed interest in joint exploration of rare earth and critical the outcomes of the first India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum held in September 2024 in New Delhi, they called upon the relevant authorities to hold the second India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum meeting at the earliest convenience. The Ministers also encouraged exchange of delegations to explore new areas of cooperation in critical may be pointed out that China is making big inroads into Central Asia's rare earth Ministers noted the importance of holding regular consultations among the National Security Councils of India and the Central Asian countries to strengthen efforts to counter terrorism and other emerging challenges in the region. They looked forward to the third edition of the Consultations to be held in the Kyrgyz Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asian countries reiterated support of their countries for permanent membership of India in an expanded and reformed UN Security Ministers reiterated their strong support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan which is free from terrorism, war and drugs. They stressed the need to stand by the people of Afghanistan. The Ministers agreed to continue close coordination and consultations on matters related to Afghanistan, according to the joint Ministers emphasized optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries. They stressed that connectivity initiatives should be based on the principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in an indirect reference to BRI that passes through reiterated its support for the membership of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in INSTC. In this context, Ministers appreciated the initiative taken by Kazakhstan to develop the eastern branch of INSTC.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Productive discussions on connectivity, security, terrorism: Jaishankar at India-Central Asia Dialogue
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, chairing the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue in Delhi on Thursday, reaffirmed India's commitment to deepening its strategic partnership with Central Asian nations, with a special focus on connectivity, security, and technological collaboration. The session brought together top diplomats from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, reflecting a growing determination to address shared regional challenges and opportunities. Following the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X, stating, 'Delighted to chair the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue in Delhi this morning. Thank my Central Asian colleagues DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Chairman & FM Rashid Meredov, FM Zheenbek Kulubaev, FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin and FM Bakhtiyor Saidov for their assessments and views. Expressed India's appreciation on Central Asian partners condemning the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Held productive and wide-ranging discussions on themes of connectivity, regional security & terrorism, technology cooperation, development partnership and people-to-people exchanges. Confident that our deliberations today would lead to forging an even closer and deeper India-Central Asia partnership.' In his opening remarks at the Dialogue, Jaishankar thanked the Central Asian countries for their show of solidarity following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. 'I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam,' he said. The minister emphasised that this unity reflected the depth of mutual trust between India and its regional partners. He noted that India's ties with the region were rooted in a shared civilisational history. 'India deeply cherishes its millennia-old civilisational and cultural ties with Central Asia. These age-old bonds forged through trade, exchange of ideas, and people-to-people contacts have strengthened over time, evolving into a partnership which is defined by shared aspirations, shared opportunities and common challenges,' he said. Jaishankar recalled that India and Central Asia marked 30 years of contemporary diplomatic relations in 2022 and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landmark visits to all five Central Asian capitals in July 2015 had significantly boosted ties. He pointed out that the nature of engagement has evolved steadily, especially over the last decade, with enhanced trade, tourism, and educational exchanges. Improved connectivity through direct flights has spurred two-way movement of tourists and businesses. The presence of a large number of Indian students in Central Asian universities was also highlighted as a marker of growing people-to-people ties. Underscoring India's role as a reliable development partner, Jaishankar said that beyond the well-known I-Tech training slots and ICCR scholarships, India has been supporting high-impact community development projects. 'Such projects have included equipping schools with computers and providing hospitals with medical equipment,' he said. He further stressed the growing scope of engagement across sectors, noting that cooperation has expanded since the 2022 virtual summit, which brought the partnership to the leaders' level. Today, regular exchanges between trade ministers, culture ministers, and national security advisers have become hallmarks of this partnership, along with special training programmes for diplomats. Jaishankar also mentioned discussions held a day prior at the India Central Asia Business Council on deepening collaboration in digital technology, fintech, and inter-bank relations, to help overcome existing impediments and realise the full potential of economic cooperation. 'India and Central Asian partners are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation across all sectors, particularly trade and investment, defence, agro processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, regional connectivity, security, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges, as well as new and emerging technologies,' he said, expressing confidence that the day's deliberations would pave the way for a stronger, broader partnership. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
"Appreciate that your countries condemned Pahalgam terror attack," EAM Jaishankar says at 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while delivering his opening remarks at the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue, thanked the Central Asian countries for their support in condemning the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. 'I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam,' Jaishankar said. Jaishankar acknowledged that India's ties with Central Asian countries have evolved over several millennia. 'We have marked three decades of our contemporary diplomatic ties with our Central Asian partners in 2022. We have worked together and laid down the legal and institutional framework, which has provided the foundation to further our mutually beneficial cooperation with each other individually, as well as collectively. Our cooperation with Central Asian countries received a quantum boost with Prime Minister Modi's back-to-back visits to all five Central Asian capitals in July 2015,' he recounted. Jaishankar said that ties with these countries have evolved significantly from civilizational bonds. 'India deeply cherishes its millennia-old civilizational and cultural ties with Central Asia. These age-old bonds forged through trade, exchange of ideas, and people-to-people contacts have strengthened over time, evolving into a partnership which is defined by shared aspirations, shared opportunities and common challenges,' he said. He added that ties, especially in terms of trade, have improved in the last decade, and that Central Asian countries remain an attractive student destination to pursue higher studies. 'Trade, economic and investment ties between us have strengthened significantly over the last decade. Today, we have a well-connected by multiple direct flights, our enhanced connectivity facilitates greater two-way tourist flows and businesses. A large number of Indian students pursue a higher education in your countries, strengthening the bond between us,' he said. Jaishankar said that India remains a trusted development partner for the Central Asian nations. 'India remains a trusted development partner for all of you. Together with I-Tech training slots and ICCR scholarships, which are the most well-known forms of our development partnerships, we have also started providing High-Impact Community Development Projects as Indian grants for socio-economic development. Such projects have included equipping schools with computers and providing hospitals with medical equipment,' he said. 'It is our mutual recognition of the importance of India-Central Asia cooperation that we raised it to the leaders' level for the first time as a virtual summit in January 2022, which added more strands to our cooperation. Today, trade ministers, culture ministers, and NSAs exchange views on delegations and special training classes for diplomats are among the notable features of our relationship,' he said. Jaishankar further talked about their discussion that took place on Thursday on digital technology and fintech, which would potentially boost the existing relations in various areas. 'Yesterday, we had a fruitful discussion at the India Central Asia Business Council to remove impediments and add cooperation in digital technology, fintech, and inter-bank relations to the existing list of areas so that we can realise the full potential of our economic cooperation,' he said. Jaishankar said that both India and Central Asian partners are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation across all sectors, and hoped that the deliberations would help strengthen these ties. 'India and Central Asian partners are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation across all sectors, particularly trade and investment, defence, agro processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, regional connectivity, security, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges, as well as new and emerging technologies. These areas will be on the agenda of our meeting today. I am sure that these deliberations would help us in forging even closer, deeper, stronger and wider partnership which would serve the interest of the people of our countries,' he said. (ANI)
