Impact of PM’s Central Asia Visit on Kyrgyzstan & India

Even though historically and culturally, India and Central Asia have been connected, this visit was not only a symbolic one but also a significant one in terms of re-energizing India-Central Asia relations.

The Prime Minister’s Central Asia visit came at the backdrop of a variety of international events. Many factors were at the core of this Central Asia visit to all five states in the region. One of the main factors was the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, which blocked the route connecting Central Asia to the country.

Another significant development came from the Chinese side, with China going ahead with building infrastructure to better its connectivity to Central Asia and Europe under its Silk Road Economic Belt Scheme.

Connectivity

The Central Asia visit can have a significant impact on India-Central Asia relations. Many areas of cooperation between India and Central Asia were discussed, with a focus on combating terrorism and radicalism. Some of the key statements made by the PM on his Central Asia visit focused on bringing up India and Central Asia’s shared history and cultural heritage. So, one major impact that can come out of the PM’s Central Asia visit is connectivity.

Both Central Asian countries and India agreed to encourage the International North-South Transport Corridor, which was initially agreed upon between India, Iran, and Russia in 2000. The Corridor’s route connects Mumbai to Bandar Abbas Port in Iran and then to another port in Northern Iran known as Bandar-e-Anzali on the coast of the Caspian Sea. The Corridor promises to transport goods in 25-30 days, compared to the current route – the Suez Canal, which transports goods in 45-60 days. 

The Corridor route can help India bypass Pakistan and connect to Central Asia directly. For Central Asia, the route of this Corridor is shorter and faster in terms of transportation compared to the Suez Canal route.

Trade and Investments

Another critical impact of the PM’s Central Asia visit to Kyrgyzstan is the focus made on trade and investments during this meeting. Both sides acknowledged the push that was needed for bilateral cooperation in trade and investments. Steps were taken previously to strengthen the Central Asian ties with India, with the Bilateral Investment Treaty being signed in 2019.

India’s economic cooperation with Central Asia will most likely be strongest with Kyrgyzstan, as it’s also a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Moreover, Kyrgyzstan’s uranium reserves are also an attractive investment and trade option. India can also benefit from Kyrgyzstan’s membership of the EEU through private sector investments that can take advantage of the EEU’s common custom tariffs via Kyrgyzstan.

Location

Central Asia’s location is the main factor in India’s strategic interest in Central Asia. With four nations, barring Kazakhstan sharing borders with Afghanistan and three nations- Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, sharing borders with China, any instability can indirectly or even directly spread to India. This is why India-Central Asia cooperation is necessary, and India needs to maintain stability with Central Asian Regions (CARs). 

The PM’s Central Asia visit to Kyrgyzstan was a well-timed and much-needed move to strengthen India-Central Asia relations and re-energize India-Central Asia ties.  Stability in this region is of key importance to India, given that the CARs share borders with China and Afghanistan.

Military and Defence

India’s defence cooperation with Central Asia is beneficial in strengthening India-Central Asia ties. India can contribute to the region’s capacity building while also building its own testing base.

The PM’s Central Asia visit to Kyrgyzstan also focused on discussing defence and security cooperation between the two countries. An agreement was reached on continued cooperation in biomedical research and high-altitude training.

The PM’s Central Asia visit also focused on increasing engagement in defence and security areas and on working closely to tackle issues like terrorism, radicalism and extremism. 

India-Central Asia relations in terms of defence and security can be bilaterally beneficial to both sides. The PM’s Central Asia visit to Kyrgyzstan was a significant development.

Travel and Tourism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Central Asia visit to Kyrgyzstan also saw both PM Modi and Kyrgyzstan President, Almazbek Atamayev coming to a mutual agreement for work that needed to be done in terms of not just tourism and travel but also to encourage India-Central Asia cooperation in various areas like science and technology, education and culture.

A liberal visa programme was discussed between the two leaders. This will prove beneficial to both Indian students and Central Asian students and see growth in the field of science and tech through the India Central Asia bilateral cooperation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the PM’s Central Asia visit to Kyrgyzstan and the four other nations in the region will see some major impacts on both India and Central Asia and India-Central Asia relations. 

With renewed interest in strengthening India-Central Asia relations and broadening bilateral India-Central Asia ties, more cooperation from both sides is expected. This Central Asia visit to Kyrgyzstan also focused on India’s Connect Central Asia Policy, initially introduced in 2012 but re-focused again in 2015.

The Connect Central Asia Policy, introduced in 2012, focused on India’s shared history and cultural heritage with Central Asia and broadening India-Central Asia relations. The key concept of this policy was the 4Cs: Commerce, Connectivity, Consular and Community. This policy aimed at strengthening India-Central Asia ties through cooperation in various spheres like defence, security, science and technology, culture, economy and trade, etc.

Both India and Central Asia can make use of this opportunity, which could help in strategic alliances later.