Rajnath Singh holds key bilateral talks in Bishkek to boost defence ties; discusses West Asia security with China, Russia

April 28, 2026 10:03 PM

Rajnath Singh holds key bilateral talks in Bishkek to boost defence ties; discusses West Asia security with China, Russia

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Belarus on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Bishkek on April 28, aimed at strengthening defence cooperation and addressing regional security concerns. During his meeting with Kyrgyz Defence Minister Major General Mukambetov Ruslan Mustafaevich, Singh discussed ways to deepen existing defence ties and enhan...

India-Kyrgyzstan joint special forces exercise ‘Khanjar’ begins in Assam

February 4, 2026 10:02 PM

India-Kyrgyzstan joint special forces exercise ‘Khanjar’ begins in Assam

The 13th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise Khanjar commenced on Tuesday at Missamari in Assam, further strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. The annual bilateral exercise will be conducted from February 4 to 17. Exercise Khanjar is held alternately in India and Kyrgyzstan. The previous edition took place in Kyrgyzstan in March 2025. The current edition brings together elite special forces units from both sides to enhance interoperability and op...

India to begin FTA negotiations with Russia-led EAEU from Wednesday

November 25, 2025 9:53 PM

India to begin FTA negotiations with Russia-led EAEU from Wednesday

India will begin formal negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) from Wednesday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Goyal said the discussions with the five-member EAEU bloc — Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan — will take place in New Delhi following the signing of the Terms of Reference on August 20, 2025. “The FTA talks start fr...

Trump to meet Central Asian presidents as US seeks to counter China, Russia influence

November 6, 2025 4:50 PM

Trump to meet Central Asian presidents as US seeks to counter China, Russia influence

U.S. President Donald Trump will host the leaders of five Central Asian nations at the White House on Thursday as the U.S. seeks to gain influence in a region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China. The talks take place amid intensifying competition for Central Asia's vast mineral resources. Western nations are seeking to diversify supply chains away from Moscow and Beijing. In particular, the U.S. is pursuing new partnerships to secure critical minerals, energy supplies, an...

Hundreds of foreign students flee Kyrgyzstan after mob attack

May 24, 2024 4:02 PM

Hundreds of foreign students flee Kyrgyzstan after mob attack

Students from Pakistan and other Asian countries are leaving Kyrgyzstan by the hundreds after an angry mob attacked their living quarters this month, although some hope to return when the situation calms down. Hundreds of Kyrgyz young men stormed a hostel in capital Bishkek in the early hours of May 17 and attacked foreign students there because of a brawl that happened between several Kyrgyz men and foreigners a few days earlier. Police, although present, were unable to stop the violence. "T...