9/1/2016

KeynoteaddressbyMOSShriE.AhamedatFirstIndiaCentralAsiaDialogue

KeynoteaddressbyMOSShriE.AhamedatFirstIndia
CentralAsiaDialogue
June12,2012
IndiasConnectCentralAsiaPolicy
ExcellencyMadameRozaOtunbaeva,
ExcellencyMadameDinaraKemelova,DeputyForeignMinisterofKyrgyzRepublic,
DistinguishedscholarsandacademicsfromCentralAsiaandIndia,
Excellencies,LadiesandGentlemen
Itisanhonourandprivilegeformetospeaktosuchadistinguishedaudienceofscholars,expertsandbusinessleaders,inthe
beautifulcityofBishkek.IcongratulatetheIndianCouncilofWorldAffairsonputtingtogetherthispioneeringdialogueforumand
thankourfriendsintheKyrgyzRepublicforbeinggraciousenoughtohostthiseventwithsomuchaplombandenthusiasm.We
havehadmanyeventsinIndiawherewehavewelcomedscholarsfromCentralAsia,butthisisthefirstinstance,wherewehave
reachedouttoCentralAsiasintellectualsandopinionleadersintheirownhome,bringingtothetabletherichknowledgeand
experienceofIndiasscholarsandbusinesspersons.
TodayseventisalsoafittingcelebrationofthetwodecadesofIndiasdiplomaticrelationswiththeKyrgyzRepublic,whichhas
beenourvaluedfriendinCentralAsia,andwithwhichwenowshareaspecialbondaftertherecentboldexperimentin
parliamentarydemocracy.
Inmyremarks,IwilldwelluponIndiasvisionofitsroleinCentralAsia.Today,Indiaisreconnectingwiththisneighbourhood,with
whichweareboundbythesilkenbondsofcenturiesofcommonhistory.
CentralAsia,overthelasttwodecadesingeneralandrecentlyinparticular,iswitnessinganunprecedentedintegrationintothe
globaleconomicandpoliticalmainstream.We,inIndia,rejoiceinthistrendoftheexpandinginfluenceofCentralAsia,particularly
ontheworldenergyscene.WerecogniseCentralAsiancountriesasclosepoliticalpartnersinour'extendedneighbourhood',a
preceptwhichhasbecomeakeyelementofourforeignpolicy.
OurcivilisationalbondswithCentralAsiancountrieshavebeentranslatedintowarmandfriendlyrelations,withIndiabeing
amongthefirstcountriestoopendiplomaticmissionsinallthefivecapitals.Wehavehadarobustexchangeofvisitsofour
leaders,andhavesignednumerouscooperationagreements.Ourpolicyhasbeenmarkedbydeepeningrelationshipsbasedon
political,economicandtechnicalcooperationasapartner,ratherthanamerecontenderfortheregion'svastoilandgas
resources.Wehavesharedourexperiencesandexpertise,builtcapacityandfocusedontrainingthroughourITECandother
assistanceprogrammes.
India'sculturalheritageisdeeplyrootedintheEurasianpast.IndiantradersandtravelershadactivelytradedalongtheSilkRoute
andBuddhismhadflourishedacrossthevastEurasiansteppe.HistoryisfulloffriendlyinteractionsbetweenIndiaandCentral
Asia,throughmovementofpeople,goodsandideas,includingspiritualinterfacesthatenrichedusboth.ThefondnessforIndian
cultureisexpressedinCentralAsiasdeepinterestinIndiancinema,music,andart.ThisinterestintensifiedfurtherinSoviet
times.
However,inthelastfewdecades,wehavebeenstrugglingtobuildeconomiclinksthatmatchourpoliticalandculturalinteraction.
Ourtradewiththewholeregionisatarelativelylowlevelofaround500millionUSdollars.Wefacesomenaturalobstacleslike
limitedlandconnectivityandthelimitedsizeoftheCentralAsianmarkets.Indiahasthusnotseenthesortofcommercial
interactioninCentralAsia,whichwesawinSoutheastAsia,EastAsiaandWestAsia.Thishasledtoajointquestforinnovative
answers,someofwhichwelookuponthisdialoguetothrowup.
IndiaisnowlookingintentlyattheregionthroughtheframeworkofitsConnectCentralAsiapolicy,whichisbasedonproactive
political,economicandpeopletopeopleengagementwithCentralAsiancountries,bothindividuallyandcollectively.
IbelievethatIndia'sactivepresenceintheregionwillcontributetostabilityanddevelopmentintheentireCentralandSouthAsia
region.Inthisanalysis,wemustfactorintheregionalsituationandespeciallythechallengeofrebuildingtheAfghannation.A
cooperativeapproachforembeddingAfghanistanintoamoremeaningfulregionaleconomicandsecurityframework,wouldhave
http://www.mea.gov.in/SpeechesStatements.htm?dtl/19791/Keynote+address+by+MOS+Shri+E+Ahamed+at+First+IndiaCentral+Asia+Dialogue

1/3

9/1/2016

KeynoteaddressbyMOSShriE.AhamedatFirstIndiaCentralAsiaDialogue

benefitsfortheentireregion.OnewayistoworktowardsconvertingAfghanistanintoahubfortradeandenergy,connecting
CentralandSouthAsia.ThelandmarkagreementfortheconstructionoftheTAPI(TurkmenistanAfghanistanPakistanIndia)
pipelinehasputthespotlightontheimportanceofCentralAsiaforIndia'sfutureenergyplans.Itwouldalsogreatlybenefit
Afghanistan.
CentralAsiancountriescouldalsogainfromthetechnoeconomicpotentialofIndia,whichcouldbeaccessedincooperative,
mutuallybeneficialpartnerships.CentralAsiasdesirefordiversifyinghydropowerandenergyexportrouteswouldcorrespond
withIndia'squestfordiversifyingimports.Indiawillbekeentoinvestinsettingupdownstreamproductionfacilities,insteadof
exportingrawmaterialsoutoftheregionthroughexpensivepipelines.Theapproachcoulddifferfromthoseseekingexclusivelyto
pumpoutCentralAsia'sriches.
ItisalsoimportanttorememberthatIndiahasneverbeenprescriptiveinitspoliticalapproach.Werepresentouruniqueliberal
democraticvalues,particularlyintheAsiancontext.Webelieveinanationbuildingmodelbasedonparticipatorydemocracy,
economicgrowth,buildingcivilsocieties,pluralisticstructures,ethnoreligiousharmonyandtheruleoflaw.
Againstthisbackdrop,letmeoutlinesomeoftheelementsofIndiasConnectCentralAsiapolicy,whichisabroadbased
approach,includingpolitical,security,economicandculturalconnections:
1.Wewillcontinuetobuildonourstrongpoliticalrelationsthroughtheexchangeofhighlevelvisits.Ourleaderswillcontinueto
interactcloselybothinbilateralandmultilateralfora.
2.Wewillstrengthenourstrategicandsecuritycooperation.WealreadyhavestrategicpartnershipsinplacewithsomeCentral
Asiancountries.Infocuswillbemilitarytraining,jointresearch,counterterrorismcoordinationandcloseconsultationson
Afghanistan.
3.WewillstepupmultilateralengagementwithCentralAsianpartnersusingthesynergyofjointeffortsthroughexistingforalike
theSCO,EurasianEconomicCommunity(EEC)andtheCustomUnion.IndiahasalreadyproposedaComprehensive
EconomicCooperationAgreementtointegrateitsmarketswiththeunifyingEurasianspace.
4.IndialookstoCentralAsiaasalongtermpartnerinenergy,andnaturalresources.CentralAsiapossesseslargecultivable
tractsoflandandweseepotentialforIndiatocooperateinproductionofprofitablecropswithvalueaddition.
5.Themedicalfieldisanotherareathatoffershugepotentialforcooperation.Wearereadytoextendcooperationbysettingup
civilhospitals/clinicsinCentralAsia.
6.IndiashighereducationsystemdeliversatafractionofthefeeschargedbyWesternuniversities.Keepingthisinmind,India
wouldliketoassistinthesettingupofaCentralAsianUniversityinBishkekthatcouldcomeupasacentreofexcellenceto
impartworldclasseducationinareaslikeIT,management,philosophyandlanguages.
7.WeareworkingonsettingupaCentralAsianenetworkwithitshubinIndia,todeliver,teleeducationandtelemedicine
connectivity,linkingallthefiveCentralAsianStates.
8.OurcompaniescanshowcaseIndia'scapabilityintheconstructionsectorandbuildworldclassstructuresatcompetitiverates.
CentralAsiancountries,especiallyKazakhstan,havealmostlimitlessreservesofironoreandcoal,aswellasabundant
cheapelectricity.Indiacanhelpsetupseveralmediumsizesteelrollingmills,producingitsrequirementofspecificproducts.
9.Asforlandconnectivity,wehavereactivatedtheInternationalNorthSouthTransportCorridor(INSTC).Weneedtojoinour
effortstodiscusswaystobridgethemissinglinksintheCorridorattheearliestandalsoworkonotherconnectingspursalong
theroute.
10.Absenceofaviablebankinginfrastructureintheregionisamajorbarriertotradeandinvestment.Indianbankscanexpand
theirpresenceiftheyseeafavourablepolicyenvironment.
11.Wewilljointlyworktoimproveairconnectivitybetweenourcountries.Indiaisoneofthebiggestmarketsforoutbound
travelersestimatedatUSD21billionin2011.ManycountrieshaveopenedtouristofficesinIndiatowooIndiantourists.
CentralAsiancountriescouldemergeasattractiveholidaydestinationsfortouristsandevenfortheIndianfilmindustrywhich
likestodepictexoticforeignlocalesinitsfilms.

http://www.mea.gov.in/SpeechesStatements.htm?dtl/19791/Keynote+address+by+MOS+Shri+E+Ahamed+at+First+IndiaCentral+Asia+Dialogue

2/3

9/1/2016

KeynoteaddressbyMOSShriE.AhamedatFirstIndiaCentralAsiaDialogue

12.Connectionsbetweenourpeoplesarethemostvitallinkagestosustainourdeepengagement.Iwouldparticularlyliketo
emphasiseexchangesbetweenyouthandthefutureleadersofIndiaandCentralAsia.Wealreadyhavearobustexchangeof
students.Wewillencourageregularexchangesofscholars,academics,civilsocietyandyouthdelegationstogaindeeper
insightsintoeachotherscultures.
Indiathusstandsreadyforadeep,meaningfulandsustainedengagementwithCentralAsia.WeneedourCentralAsianfriends
tocreatefavourablevisaconditionstoacceptIndiasbenignpresence.Perhapsthegovernmentsofallthefivestateswillagreeto
simplifytheseprocedures.
IndiasConnectCentralAsiaPolicywillbeconsonantwithouroverallpolicyofdeepeningengagementinEurasia,ourpolicyof
strengtheningrelationswithChina,withPakistan,andbuildingonourtraditionalrelationshipwithRussia.Wehopethatour
membershipinnumerousregionalforumsincludingattheSCO,wouldbolsterIndia'srenewedlinkageswiththeregion.
Collectively,wemustalsothinkaboutcreatingacooperativesecuritystructureformaintainingpeaceinAsia.Ourpolicyof
peacefulcoexistenceandofplayingaconstructiveandmeaningfulroleintheUnitedNations(nowalsoasanonpermanent
memberoftheUNSecurityCouncil)willdriveustoworkwithadeepsenseofresponsibilityonallglobalissues.India's
engagementinCentralAsia,therefore,mustbeseeninthecontextofaquestforaworldorderwhichismultipolar.
Withtheseremarks,Iinvitethegalaxyofexpertsandthinkerspresentheretotakethestageanddeliberatemoreonsomeof
theseideas.Iwishtheseminarallsuccess.

http://www.mea.gov.in/SpeechesStatements.htm?dtl/19791/Keynote+address+by+MOS+Shri+E+Ahamed+at+First+IndiaCentral+Asia+Dialogue

3/3