Diplomacy is also known as an
instrument of winning new friends and enhancing trust with old friends. Carrying his distinct imprint on India’s foreign
policy frame work forward, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a
crucial visit of Central Asian countries. PM Modi
is right on his track.
He has already visited Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan,
whom he has rightly described as India’s “valued friend”. In the recent past Central Asia has remained only a
sub-text in Indian foreign policy paradigm as New Delhi remained largely
engaged in South Asia and also big powers like the US and Russia and partly
BRICS.
Therefore, Prime
Minister Modi’s maiden visit to these Central Asian countries has raised positive
vibes more than curiosity.
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| Namo at the L.N Gumilev National Univrsity, Astana, Kazakhstan |
Many are already calling it a likely game-changer.
At Astana, Kazakhstan capital, Modi only articulated
his keenness for making forward movement in the ties when he said India and
Central Asia have influenced each other profoundly over the last 2000 years.
In Uzbekistan too, Prime Minister set the ball
rolling on the right track by stating at a joint press conference with Uzbek
President Islam Karimov that India’s
relationship with the region has ancient roots and left a strong imprint
on both.
“It now occupies a significant place in India’s
future,” Quote-Unquote he said to an enthusiastic response from his hosts.
Besides these two countries and also Russia where he
is to attend the BRICS summit and also the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation in Ufa, Modi will also visit Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan.
Observers see the visit to strategically located
region as critical because besides providing access to hydrocarbons and
uranium, these former Republics of erstwhile Soviet Union can be helpful in
dealing with terror threats in the region.
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| Modi paying tribute at the bust of Lal Bahadur Shastri at Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
PM Modi has himself given confirmation to the
significance of ties with countries like Uzbekistan, when he held very
productive discussions with President Karimov. Both sides agreed for expanding
economic cooperation, combating terrorism, advancing stability and promoting
regional integration.
In Tashkent, among other agenda, the Prime Minister
paid tributes to Lal Bahadur Shastri’s memorial as the former Prime Minister
had breathed his last in that country. He thanked Uzbekistan profoundly for
preserving the legacy of India’s second Prime Minister.Crucial part of his interactions was with
Indologists, Hindi language students and Indian community members.
Modi also released the first Uzbek-Hindi dictionary
along with his Uzbek counterpart and Indologist Rakhmatov.
He said importance of Hindi language will increase
further internationally as India is on course of economic advancement. Noting that the pacts inked between India and
Uzbekistan in the field of culture and tourism will bring people of the two
countries closer, Modi said, “Few countries can match Uzbekistan in nurturing
Hindi and Indian culture”.
President Karimov and
Prime Minister Modi also reached understanding on a wide range of issues to
further deepen Uzbekistan-India strategic relations. The two leaders discussed
ways to implement the contract for supply of uranium from Uzbekistan signed
last year.
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| Modi with Kazakh PM Karim Massimov |
The pact was signed for supply of 2,000 metric
tonnes of Uranium.
At Astana in Kazakhstan capital, in his address at
the Nazarbayev University, Modi said India’s engagement with Central Asia has
been short of promise and added that he is determined to change it with closer
cooperation.
India is at the crossroads of Asia’s land and sea
routes, Prime Minister said while emphasizing that his government is already
working with a sense of priority to connect well to both the East and the West.
And thus success of connectivity through and across Central Asia is important,
he said.
He inaugurated the India-Kazakhstan Centre of
Excellence in Information and Communication Technology.
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| National Monument of Independence & Humanism:Tashkent |
Addressing CEOs from India and Kazakhstan at a
business meet, Prime Minister Modi urged Kazakhstan to participate in India's
"Make in India" initiative, Smart Cities and urban infrastructure
programmes. Indian oil firms could invest with new technologies in Kazakhstan's
vast energy sector as also there could be cooperation in agriculture and milk
production.
True, expertise in diplomacy calls for creating
opportunities where none might exist. In Indian case too, the journey has been
tales of lost opportunities.
Prime Minister Modi’s outreach in the neigbourhood
and also Central Asian countries thus would seek to achieve a few
multi-dimensional goals for India.
Ends
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