India To Host Conclave Of Top Security Officials Of Central Asian Countries On Tuesday

NSA Ajit Doval is likely to hold separate bilateral meetings with his visiting counterparts on the sidelines of the meet that comes amid growing concerns over the security situation in Afghanistan.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval ( Image Source :PTI )

For the first time, India will host on Tuesday a conclave of top security officials of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with a focus on the evolving security situation in Afghanistan and ways to deal with threat of terrorism emanating from that country, authoritative sources said.

The NSA-level conclave that comes around 10 months after the first India-Central Asia virtual summit is also set to deliberate on ways to boost India's connectivity with the Central Asian region among other issues, they said on Monday.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is likely to hold separate bilateral meetings with his visiting counterparts on the sidelines of the meet that comes amid growing concerns over the security situation in Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan's NSA would not be able to attend the meet and the country will be represented by its ambassador to India.

In November last year, India hosted a regional dialogue on the situation in Afghanistan that was attended by NSAs of Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

But it is the first time that India is hosting the top security officials of the central Asian countries.

"India considers the Central Asian countries as the heart of Asia. These counties are also members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). We want to take forward the cooperation in a comprehensive manner," said a source.

The meeting coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and the Central Asian countries.

The sources said India and the Central Asian countries have shared concerns over terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and its implications for regional security.

"The security situation in Afghanistan and the evolving dynamics in that country will figure in the deliberations. India and the Central Asian countries have shared interests in peace, security and stability in the region," said the source.

A number of Central Asian countries share land borders with Afghanistan and there have been concerns by them after the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August last year.

The sources said the Central Asian countries are aware of Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorism and its linkages to various terror groups. But because of certain considerations, the countries do not publicly name the groups or the country supporting terrorism.

The sources said India and the Central Asian countries have similarities in approach in countering terrorism and the threat of radicalisation and the issues will be deliberated upon in the meet.

"The Central Asian countries which share land borders with Afghanistan have been feeling the impact of last year's events (Taliban's takeover of power)," said the source.

The sources said boosting connectivity including exploring making the Chabahar port in Iran a part of the International North-South Transport Corridor will also be part of the discussions.

Located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast, the Chabahar port is being developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan to boost connectivity and trade ties.

At a connectivity conference in Tashkent in July last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar projected Iran's Chabahar port as a key regional transit hub including Afghanistan.

The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

India has been supporting the project.

India has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country.

In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit in virtual format which was attended by Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

During the summit, Modi and the Central Asian leaders discussed the next steps in taking India-Central Asia relations to new heights.

In a historic decision, the leaders agreed to institutionalise the summit mechanism by deciding to hold it every two years.

They also agreed on regular meetings of Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers, Culture Ministers and Secretaries of the Security Council to prepare the groundwork for the summit meetings. 

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