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The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Sponsors and perpetrators of terror must be brought to justice, say Central Asian countries
The Foreign Ministers of Central Asian countries on Friday (June 6, 2025) 'unequivocally condemned' the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and conveyed their 'firm commitment' to fight terrorism. The common position against terrorism was arrived at during the India-Central Asia Dialogue that was chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He acknowledged the solidarity that the Central Asian countries had extended to India after the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. He also called upon the region to work for 'greater financial connectivity' with India. 'They reaffirmed their firm commitment to fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and 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 participating Foreign Ministers said in a joint statement that was issued at the end of the meeting. The participating countries also stressed that 'perpetrators, organisers,financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice'. Push for connectivity The Foreign Ministers of India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan emphasised 'optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)' to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries. The participants at the dialogue said connectivity projects should be 'based on principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries'. At the meeting, India supported the membership of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the INSTC. 'The Ministers underlined the importance of greater financial connectivity between India and Central Asian countries, including through digital payment systems, enhanced inter-bank relations, and trade in national currencies to encourage greater trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges,' the joint declaration stated. It also expressed interest in joint exploration of rare earth and critical minerals, and called on the participating countries to organise the second India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum meeting 'at the earliest convenience'. Trusted partner Earlier, inaugurating the dialogue, Mr. Jaishankar described India as 'a trusted development partner' of Central Asia. Mr. Jaishankar highlighted trade and investment, defence, agro-processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, regional connectivity, security, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges as areas where bilateral cooperation will increase in the coming period. 'India remains a trusted development partner for all of you. Together with ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) training slots and ICCR scholarships, which are the most well-known forms of our development partnerships, we also have started providing high-impact community development projects as Indian grants for socio-economic development,' said Mr. Jaishankar.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Central Asian countries stood by India after heinous Pahalgam terror attack: EAM Jaishankar
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Friday expressed his appreciation for the solidarity shown by Central Asian countries in condemning the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. "I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam," the EAM said in his opening remarks at the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi. Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev and Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov took part in the dialogue. Addressing the session, EAM Jaishankar stated that 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 defined by shared aspirations, shared opportunities and common challenges," he said. The EAM said that India's cooperation with the Central Asian countries received a "quantum boost" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's back-to-back visits to all five Central Asian capitals in July 2015. '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 a foundation to further our mutually beneficial cooperation with each other individually and collectively,' he added He emphasised that India remains a trusted development partner for all the Central Asian countries and highlighted that that trade, economic, and investment ties between India and Central Asia have strengthened significantly over the last decade. 'Together with the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training slots and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, which are the most well-known form of our development partnership, we have also started providing High Impact Community Development projects as Indian grants for socio-economic development,' the EAM mentioned. Asserting on the fruitful discussions during the India Central Asia Business Council meeting held on Thursday, Jaishankar stated that it focused on to remove impediments and add cooperation in digital technology, fintech, inter-bank relations, and to the existing list of areas, which would help both India and Central Asian region to realise the full potential of the economic cooperation. 'Both India and our 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 stated. The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in January 2019 in Samarkand, serves as a key platform for strengthening ties between India and Central Asia. The second meeting took place virtually in October 2020 and focussed on regional security, counter-terrorism, and infrastructure development. The third meeting was held in New Delhi in December 2021 and emphasised connectivity to further deepen the ties between India and Central Asia.
Daily News Egypt
01-03-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
India, Egypt celebrate 60 years of technical cooperation on ITEC Day
The Embassy of India in Cairo hosted ITEC Day to mark the 60th anniversary of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. The event, held on Sunday, brought together Egyptian officials, alumni, and partners to celebrate the programme's achievements in capacity-building and technical assistance. A flagship initiative of the Government of India, ITEC has played a pivotal role in supporting developing country partners through education and training. Each year, it offers 200 fully funded scholarships for Egyptian nationals, providing access to 54 prestigious institutes across India and covering 280 disciplines. These scholarships, financed by India's Ministry of External Affairs, offer training in fields such as Information Technology, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), public administration, election management, entrepreneurship, rural development, medical care, renewable energy, and more. Additionally, specialized training for defence personnel is available at esteemed institutions, including the National Defence College and the Defence Services Staff College. During the event, Charge d'Affaires C. Sushma expressed her gratitude for the support received from Egypt's Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, which has been instrumental in the programme's success. She reaffirmed India's unwavering commitment to strengthening Egypt's capacity-building initiatives. In a special video message, Minister Rania Al Mashat highlighted the shared values between India and Egypt in advancing South-South cooperation. She acknowledged ITEC's integral role in the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership, emphasizing that more than 1,500 Egyptians have benefitted from these demand-driven training programmes. The celebration also featured testimonials from Egyptian alumni of ITEC, CV Raman Scholarships, and other training initiatives. They shared personal experiences of their time in India, reflecting on how the programme had positively shaped their professional and personal growth. ITEC Day continues to serve as a platform for deepening the longstanding friendship between India and Egypt. As both nations work towards a Strategic Partnership, India remains committed to fostering collaboration through knowledge exchange, mutual respect, and a shared vision for sustainable development.
