Consensus on Afghanistan, Chabahar and TAPI - What Foreign Ministers Discussed in New Delhi
The delegation of Turkmenistan, headed by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, took part in the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue, which was held in New Delhi on Sunday. The meeting was also attended by the foreign ministers of India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The heads of the foreign ministries highly appreciated the role of the dialogue between India and the countries of Central Asia as an effective platform for cooperation and exchange of views on regional and international issues, the statement on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan says.
Rashid Meredov noted the consistent development of interaction between the six states in various fields and the great potential for cooperation, primarily in such sectors as pharmaceuticals, information technology, agriculture, energy, textile industry, etc.
The ministers exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan and reaffirmed support for the peaceful, safe and stable development of the country, while emphasizing respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs.
“Ministers noted that there is a broad 'regional consensus' on issues related to Afghanistan, which includes the formation of a truly representative and inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, the central role of the UN, immediate humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and the preservation of women's rights. children and other national ethnic groups,” the six countries said in a joint statement, The Hindu reports.
The ministers confirmed the participation of the leaders of their five countries in the celebrations of Republic Day of India in January, when they will hold a high-level dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the publication reported.
“We regard today's meeting as a key preparation for the upcoming Central Asia-India summit in January next year,” the Indian news agency ANI quotes the words of the head of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan.
The minister noted that the dialogue between India and Central Asia is "natural and impartial." “Our peoples are the historical successors of the historical experience of good-neighborly relations, mutual understanding and common traditions. In modern conditions, this experience can play a decisive role in the establishment of systemic, long-term relations between the countries of Central Asia and India.»
During the dialogue, they also discussed how to increase trade between India and Central Asia, the volume of which is currently quite small and amounts to less than $ 2 billion, most of which comes from the export of Kazakh oil to India.
In this regard, the possibilities of using the port of Chabahar, which is connected with the countries of Central Asia by road and rail transport through Iran, as well as the North-South International Transit Corridor, which passes through the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, were considered.
“India welcomed the interest of Central Asian countries in using the services of the Shahid Beheshti terminal at the Chabahar port to facilitate their trade with India and beyond,” the joint statement says. The Hindu also adds that Rashid Meredov stressed the importance of the regional TAPI gas pipeline project.
According to the statement, during the dialogue it was also decided to explore the possibility of creating joint working groups to address issues of free movement of goods and services between India and the countries of Central Asia.
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