Third India-Central Asia Dialogue to begin today in New Delhi

New Delhi: The third India-Central Asia Dialogue will begin today in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host the 3-day Dialogue. Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Republic, Ruslan Kazakbaev and Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin arrived in New Delhi yesterday.

Tajikistan Foreign Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Dr Jaishankar today and take part in the India-Central Asia Dialogue tomorrow.

Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi will arrive today for the India-Central Asia Dialogue.

The Ministers are expected to discuss further strengthening of relations between India and Central Asian countries with particular focus on trade, connectivity and development cooperation. They will



also exchange views on regional and international issues of mututal interest. The Ministers are also likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The second meeting was organised by India in October last year via video conferencing. There has been an ongoing engagement between India and the five Central Asian countries over the last few years. India considers Central Asia as part of its extended neighbourhood. Dr Jaishankar visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan this year and he also met Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan in October this year.

The holding of the Annual Meetings of the India Central Asia Dialogue is symbolic of the interest on part of all member countries for greater engagement between them in a spirit of friendship, trust and mutual understanding.