Modi talks regional security, cooperation in First India- Central Asia Summit
Darpan News Desk IANS, 27 Jan, 2022 12:05 PM
New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) "It is clear that cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and prosperity. From an Indian point of view, I would like to emphasize that Central Asia is central to Indias vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood. The second objective is to give an effective structure to our cooperation. This will establish a framework of regular interactions at different levels and among various stakeholders. And, the third objective is to create an ambitious roadmap for our cooperation. Through this, we will be able to adopt an integrated approach for regional connectivity and cooperation for the next 30 years," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the first India-Central Asia Summit.
The ministry of external affairs organised the summit virtually on Thursday which was attended by the heads of all five Central Asian countries -- Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan. It is an extension of the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue which was held in New Delhi on 19 December 2021 under the chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister of India and attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of these countries.
Talking about the specific areas of cooperation with these five countries, Modi said that Kazakhstan has become a vital partner for India's energy security. Our state governments are also active partners in our growing cooperation with Uzbekistan. This includes my home state of Gujarat as well. We have an active partnership with Kyrgyzstan in the field of education and high-altitude research. Thousands of Indian students are studying there, the PM added.
With Tajikistan, we have longstanding security cooperation. And we are continuously strengthening it. Turkmenistan is an important part of the Indian vision in the field of regional connectivity, which is evident from our participation in the Ashgabat Agreement, he said.
Speaking to a newspaper, the 82-year-old Engineer, who played 46 Tests for India, ridiculed the credentials of India’s five-member selection panel, led by MSK Prasad and comprising Sarandeep Singh and Jatin Paranjpe, Gagan Khoda and Devang Gandhi.
In a bid to spread the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will organise an international youth seminar on teachings of the first Sikh guru and Sikhism on November 6.
By the middle of next year, the Modi government would have a direct connectivity with over 11.5 crore farmers and their families across India, making it a communication exercise hitherto unprecedented in scale. If all goes well, the massive data bank on the farmers would be ready for release by June 2020.
"Indian users were among those contacted by us this week," a WhatsApp Spokesperson told IANS, without revealing the numbers or names of those affected.
It is a historic Thursday as two new Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh came into being, putting into effect the reorganization of the erstwhile state.
