Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commenced his eight-day, six-nation tour across Central Asia, and is slated to mark his presence in two multilateral summits in Russia. He will visit Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, aiming to better strategic, economic and energy ties. Meanwhile, the PMO has confirmed the much anticipated PM's meeting with his Pakistan counterpartt Nawaz Sharif, in a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The development comes after recent souring of relations over the Kashmir issue and border ceasefire violations.
The main agenda of the series of short trips is to cover the neighbouring resource-rich nations. Modi has his priorities set on the energy sector, Kazakhstan is a pronounced producer of oil, and the other countries on the list have large reserves of natural gas. India has a long-pending project TAPI, with Turkmenistan, that involves construction of a gas pipeline from the country over Afghanistan, across Pakistan, to India, that needs a push. Apart from this, Modi wishes to promote infrastructure projects that would connect Central Asia to the Indian region, boosting opportunities for trade and investment.
The BRICS summit will focus on discussions to enhance cooperation in economic field, including the possibility of trade in local currency. With the BRICS Development Bank already set up, the summit could look at the possibility of starting a credit facility in local currency. India has applied for a membership with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a security grouping led by China and Russia. The summit held by SCO will most likely see India as a full member.
Beginning his diplomatic trip in Uzbekistan, Modi was received by his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev and his cabinet colleagues, in the capital of Taskhent. He held talks with President Islam Karimov and the two countries have reportedly inked three pacts to boost cooperation between their offices in the fields of culture and tourism. He said, “I and the president discussed regional and international issues including the situation of Afghanistan. We also shared our concerns on the rising threat of extremism and terrorism in our extended neighbourhood.”
Modi briefed Karimov about the International North South Transport Corridor and has proposed that Uzbekistan become a member. “I sought his support for India joining the Ashgabat Agreement,” a transport corridor that would link Central Asia to the seaports in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
