NEW DELHI: India and Central Asian nations on Thursday reiterated their commitment to deepening regional security cooperation at the 3rd meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Council/National Security Advisers in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval represented India at the meeting, joined by his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, while Tajikistan was represented by the Deputy Secretary of its Security Council.
The participants “reiterated the importance of regular dialogue in view of the changing nature of security challenges,” said an official release. Key areas of focus included counterterrorism, radicalisation, extremism, and narcotics trafficking.
The NSAs underlined the shared concern over Afghanistan’s future, stating that “security and stability in Afghanistan are significant for the region.” They agreed to “work closely with Afghanistan in addressing security challenges,” and to support connectivity and economic development “which could form the basis of long-term stability.”
The meeting also emphasised “greater connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries” as a priority, while highlighting emerging areas of cooperation. These include “digital connectivity, infrastructure, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, and space cooperation.”
During his visit, Doval also called on Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov along with the other participating NSAs and Secretaries. In addition, he held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
The meeting was held under the framework of the consensus reached at the first India-Central Asia Summit in January 2022, which called for regular engagement at the NSA level. The first meeting in this format was held on 6 December 2022 in New Delhi, followed by the second on 23 October 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
This third edition comes just months after the successful 4th India–Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, hosted in New Delhi on June 6. The dialogue signals India’s growing strategic engagement with Central Asia, particularly on issues of security, regional stability, connectivity and emerging technologies.
