Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit in a virtual format  and called for defining an ambitious vision for cooperation between India and Central Asia in the coming years. PM Modi stressed that Central Asia is central to India’s vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood.

Mutual cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and prosperity, PM Modi said while interacting with Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyz Republic.

Emphasising the need for more friendly relations with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, PM Modi touched upon the Afghanistan issue and said, “We all are concerned about the Afghan situation and this makes cooperation between India and Central Asia all the more important for regional stability and security.”

Mutual cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and prosperity, PM Modi said.

The India-Central Asia Summit is the first meeting of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders.