Indian Council of World Affairs

Five leaders of Central Asia were hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India’s first Summit meeting with regional countries on 27 January 2022. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz Republic President Sadyr Zhaparov, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the virtual meeting organised by India. In an important outreach to Central Asia, which is considered as India’s extended neighbourhood, all five Presidents from the region were invited in December 2021 to be India’s Republic Day Chief Guests at New Delhi on 26 January 2022. However, the leaders could not undertake the visit to India due to the pandemic and the Summit also shifted to virtual format.[1]

The Central Asian countries became independent in early 1990s with the breakup of the USSR. India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with all five in the region. Over the last three decades, the two sides have consistently improved their multifaceted engagement. India has strategic partnerships with all countries in the region except Turkmenistan, which pursues a policy of ‘permanent neutrality’. India has strong cultural presence in the region and traditionally enjoys immense goodwill among the people. There is a renewed quest in Central Asia for diversification and India, which is a rising power situated in the region’s proximity, is increasingly seen as a reliable partner with great economic, trade and connectivity potential.

India-Central Asia Summit 2022

New Delhi highlighted that the Summit is symbolic of the importance attached by India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership. The inaugural India-Central Asia Summit in 2022 coincides with the 30^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two sides. Over the years, India has strengthened its strategic partnership with Republics in the region. India considers the region of Central Asia ‘central’ to its vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood. Although India’s economic engagement with the region is far below its potential, New Delhi’s development partnership, especially capacity building programmes, have proved to be a great success.

Apart from India’s Connect Central Asia policy (2012) and PM Modi’s historic visit to all five countries of the region in 2015, the recent initiatives and meetings, especially the India-Central Asia Dialogue at Foreign Ministers’ level (the third meeting held in New Delhi on 19 December 2021), and participation of the Secretaries of National Security Councils of Central Asian countries in the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan (held in New Delhi on 10 November 2021) have given a fresh impetus to India’s bilateral and multilateral relations. Evidently, India and Central Asian countries have adopted an incremental approach leading up to the Summit. The first summit between India and Central Asia is a milestone highlighting the common desire of all six countries to build a long term, comprehensive, and enduring India-Central Asia partnership based on mutual trust, understanding and friendship.[2]

Central Asia is important for India’s economy, energy security and inter-regional connectivity. PM Modi outlined the principle of “Support of All, Development for All, Trust of All, Efforts of All” for regional development, peace and prosperity.[3]Addressing the meeting, PM Modi highlighted that the Summit has three main objectives: (i) to make it evident that cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and prosperity; (ii) to give an effective structure to India-Central Asia cooperation; (iii) the third objective is to create a roadmap towards adopting an integrated approach for regional connectivity and cooperation for the next 30 years.[4]

India has proposed a number of innovative measures aimed at further enhancing the cooperation by a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership:

(a) Apart from the ongoing mechanism of the India-Central Asia Dialogue at Foreign Ministers’ level, the six countries plan to have regular meetings of their Trade Ministers as well as Culture Ministers.

(b) The Secretaries of the National Security Councils will hold regular meetings to discuss security developments in the region.

(c) An ‘India-Central Asia Parliamentary Forum’ has also been proposed.

(d) India will establish an ‘India – Central Asia Centre’ in New Delhi, which shall work as the Secretariat for the India – Central Asia Summit.

(e) To train the diplomats of the Central Asian countries, India has offered customised professional training programmes.

(f) Besides, an increase is proposed in the training slots and scholarships for the region. To promote greater interaction among the youth, New Delhi has offered to host a 100-member youth delegation from the region annually.

(g) A ‘Dictionary of Common words used in India and Central Asian countries’ will be commissioned apart from a Buddhist exhibition in the region.

(h) Lack of direct connectivity between India and Central Asia is considered a major impediment in bilateral trade and investment. In this context, India has proposed to establish a Joint Working Group on Chabahar Port to address issues of free movements of goods and services between India and the region.

(i) The inclusion of Chabahar Port into the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) was welcomed. Turkmenistan proposed to include the Turkmenbashi Port within the framework of INSTC.

(j) The Central Asian countries and India have condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterated that providing support, 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.

(k) India and Central Asian countries will form a Joint Working Group on Afghanistan at Senior Officials’ Level.

A Perspective

A number of measures to further deepen the engagement with Central Asia, including in security, economic, connectivity and cultural has been announced, which can be broadly categorised and assessed in three broad areas: (i) Regional security, (ii) Connectivity and economic relations, and (iii) Cultural and people-to-people engagement. Additionally, it is noteworthy that India-Central Asia Summit has announced a few initiatives in order to institutionalise the Summit process as well as important ministerial meetings in between the summits.

Regional Security: India and Central Asian countries pursue regional stability and share concern on terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. India and Central Asian countries are concerned about the developments in Afghanistan. The Summit reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan. Despite connectivity challenges, India has been sending humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and has offered to send food grains to avoid crisis in Afghanistan.

Connectivity and Economic Relations: Lack of direct land corridor between India and Central Asian countries has been considered as a major obstacle for a long time in expanding trade and economic linkages with the region. However, with the multiple initiatives underway, the condition is expected to change in near future. India has joined the Ashgabat Agreement in 2018. The INSTC is becoming functional and expanding with additional ports in its Central and West Asian nodes. India and Central Asian countries support inclusion of the Chabahar Port in INSTC network while Turkmenistan has proposed to include the Turkmenbashi port in the transport corridor.

Cultural and people-to-people engagement: This is an area where India has certain advantages over other countries active in the region. Indian culture, its poets and writers, and films are very popular across the region. People of India and Central Asia have similar cultural preferences and understanding, which can help in further boosting the relationship. Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Sufism and rich literary heritage are strands binding India and Central Asian countries in common cultural perceptions. India’s technical cooperation programme, telemedicine and healthcare have been directly beneficial for the common people of the region and are very popular among them.

Conclusion

India’s policy on Central Asia is primarily aimed at securing national interests in resource security, economic exchanges and improving connectivity for engaging the larger region of Eurasia. India’s economic growth and security interests necessitate strong relations with Central Asian countries. For Central Asian countries, greater engagement of India as a reliable partner, contributes to their economic development, employment generation and capacity building. Further, it also adds to regional stability and reduces dependency on select neighbours for their international economic relations. The First India-Central Asia Summit 2022 can be considered as a milestone in further cementing ties between India and the five countries of the region. A sincere and systematic effort is underway to strengthen relations with the region amid shifting global pivot to the East. The institutionalisation of engagement will greatly help in developing and a long-term and mutually nurturing Indo-Eurasian partnership.

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Dr. Athar Zafar is Senior Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.

Notes:

[1]Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, “India to propose biennial summit with Central Asia and secretariat in Delhi,” 25 January 2022, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/india-to-propose-biennial-summit-with-central-asia-and-secretariat-in-delhi/articleshow/89101326.cms, accessed 27 January 2022 

[2]Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, “Delhi Declaration of the 1st India-Central Asia Summit,” 27 January 2022, https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/34773/Delhi+Declaration+of+the+1st+IndiaCentral+Asia+Summit, accessed 28 January 2022 

[3]Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, “Delhi Declaration of the 1st India-Central Asia Summit,” 27 January 2022, https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/34773/Delhi+Declaration+of+the+1st+IndiaCentral+Asia+Summit, accessed 28 January 2022 

[4]Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, “English translation of Prime Minister's Opening Remarks at the first meeting of India Central Asia Summit,” 27 January 2022, https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/34772/English+translation+of+Prime+Ministers+Opening+Remarks+at+the+first+meeting+of+India+Central+Asia+Summit, accessed 28 January 2022