India recently orchestrated the second meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue via a virtual platform. The inaugural meeting of this dialogue was organized in Samarkand, Republic of Uzbekistan back in January 2019.
United Front Against Terrorism
A joint consensus emerged condemning the terroristic activities that plague the world. All nations steadfastly affirmed to combat terrorism by neutralizing terrorist safe-havens, obstructing their network, destroying their infrastructure, and disrupting their funding channels. The united stand also highlighted the responsibility of every nation to ensure their territory isn’t misused to initiate terrorist attacks against other nations.
Afghan Peace Process
The involved countries unanimously called for the resolution of the Afghan conflict through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled peace process.
Infrastructure Development
India’s relentless efforts towards the modernization of the Chabahar port’s infrastructure in Iran were appreciated during the meetings. The port is poised to become a significant link in trade and transport communications between Central and South Asian markets.
Initiatives Announced by India
India announced a series of initiatives including an additional USD 1 billion Line of Credit for the Central Asian countries. This funding is expected to be channeled into significant infrastructural and connectivity projects. Besides, India also declared grant financing for high impact community development projects in these nations.
Working Groups and Business Councils
India also declared the establishment of working groups under the India Central Asia Business Council, which includes key chambers of all participating countries. This council was launched by the Indian Government along with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in February 2020 with a mission to foster business in the region and generate an industry viewpoint to the governments of the six nations.
About the Line of Credit
A Line Of Credit is a credit facility extended by a bank or any other financial institution to a government, business, or an individual customer that empowers the customer to access the maximum loan amount.
India-Central Asia Dialogue
This dialogue represents a ministerial-level conversation between India and the Central Asian countries namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. These nations attained the status of independent states post the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, after the Cold War. Except for Turkmenistan, all participating countries are also members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The first dialogue saw India proposing the creation of ‘India-Central Asia Development Group’ to advance development partnerships between India and Central Asian countries. This group may help India broaden its influence in this resource-rich region amid ongoing conflicts with China and effectively combat terror, including in Afghanistan.
