India in new initiative to 'connect' to Central Asia

BISHKEK: India today unveiled its 'Connect Central Asia' policy that envisages augmenting of political, economic and people-to-people contacts with the energy-rich Central Asian nations.

The policy was unveiled by Minister of State for External Affairs, E Ahamed, who said the programme is aimed at establishing deeper links through both bilateral and collective initiatives.

He also laid out a plan of linking the five Central Asian states with India through tele-education and tele-medicine initiatives, in a project devised on the lines of the Pan-Africa e-network that India initiated jointly with the African Union.

Inaugurating the first India-Central Asia dialogue in the Kyrgyz capital, Ahamed said both sides are working to establish a Central Asian e-network with its hub in India.

He also evinced India's interest in helping set up a Central Asia University in Bishkek that will focus on education in areas like IT, management, and cultural exchanges including philosophy and languages.

Ahamed said India and Central Asia were connected by civilisational bonds and also highlighted the growing friendly relations among the peoples of the two regions.

The two-day Dialogue which is being attended by participants from across the Central Asian region, will be followed by a business interaction 'Discover Asia' that will see a participation of over hundred business people and captains of industry.