Medilytix News Bureau:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the first India-Central Asia Summit in a virtual format on Thursday during which the leaders are expected to deliberate on steps to take forward relations to newer heights as well as the evolving regional security situation.
The virtual summit will see the participation of the five presidents — Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyz Republic.
This will be the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders, the Ministry of External Affairs had said.
The summit is symbolic of the importance attached by the leaders of India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership.
The participation of the secretaries of National Security Councils of Central Asian countries in the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held in New Delhi in November last year outlined a common regional approach on Afghanistan.
The summit is being held a day after the Republic Day which saw no foreign head of state or government as the chief guest. The leaders of the five central Asian countries were likely to be the chief guest but the country saw a rise in COVID-19 cases which led to a curtailed Republic Day celebrations.