India trusted development partner for Central Asia: Jaishankar

India on Friday appreciated the Central Asian states for standing by it following the Pahalgam terror attack and reaffirmed that it would be a "trusted development partner" for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In his opening remarks at the India-Central Asia Dialogue, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is keen to expand cooperation with the five countries in a range of areas, including connectivity, trade, tourism and education.

"I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam," he said.


Jaishankar said India "deeply cherishes" its millennia-old civilisational and cultural ties with Central Asia.

The external affairs minister said the cooperation between India and Central Asia received a "quantum boost" following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's back-to-back visits to all five countries in the region in July 2015.

"India remains a trusted development partner for all of you," he said, adding that the two-way trade, economic and investment ties have strengthened significantly over the last decade.

"Today, we are well-connected by multiple direct flights. Our enhanced connectivity facilitates greater two-way tourist flows and businesses," he said.

Jaishankar said both India and the Central Asian nations are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in areas of trade and investment, defence, regional connectivity, security and new and emerging technologies.

The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in January 2019 in Samarkand, is a meeting of foreign ministers. It serves as a key platform for strengthening ties between India and Central Asia.

The second meeting took place virtually in October 2020 and focussed on regional security, counter-terrorism, and infrastructure development.

The third meeting was held in New Delhi in December 2021 and emphasised connectivity to further deepen the ties between India and Central Asia.