Eurasia has potential to address India's energy needs: SM Krishna

DUSHANBE: Identifying Eurasia as a panacea for its energy security needs, India today asked its top envoys in the resource-rich region to work on converting their country's "enormous goodwill" into "tangible economic and strategic advantage".

Addressing a conference in the Tajik capital of Indian Heads of Missions of 11 countries in the region, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna underlined the importance of India's 'Connect Central Asia' policy and its engagement with the strategic region.

He emphasised the need of 'Commerce, Connectivity, Consular and Community'- to improve its engagement with the natural-resources-rich region.

"I would urge all of you to ponder over four Cs namely 'Commerce, Connectivity, Consular and Community'-related issues, and initiate innovative solutions with the sole aim of further improving the quality of our engagement with the countries of your accreditation as well as the region," he said.

"I need not emphasise the significance and importance of the Eurasia region for India. As this region undergoes rapid transformation, a time has come for us to evolve calibrated and coordinated responses in our engagement with each of the countries as well as the region to further secure our core national interests," the minister said.

Krishna, who is here on a two-day visit, identified the Eurasia region has the potential of "significantly addressing" India's energy security needs.

Krishna said India's envoys in the region should deploy all available tools "to capitalise on the enormous goodwill that exists for India, and convert it into a tangible economic and strategic advantage".