External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will host the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan for the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi on June 6, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release on Wednesday.
The dialogue will focus on strengthening regional cooperation, with discussions covering trade, connectivity, technology, and development partnerships. The ministers will also exchange views on regional security and other pressing regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Ahead of the ministerial dialogue, the visiting Foreign Ministers will participate in the India-Central Asia Business Council meeting on June 5, jointly organised by the MEA and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Highlighting the significance of the relationship, the MEA noted that India and Central Asian countries, as part of each other’s extended neighbourhood, share deep-rooted historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties spanning millennia.
The relationship has grown in recent years through initiatives such as the India-Central Asia Summit, held virtually for the first time in January 2022, and the Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue. The 3rd edition of the Dialogue was also hosted by India in New Delhi in December 2021.
