Fourth India-Central Asia Dialogue gets underway in Delhi

Experts from various countries have gathered in the national capital for the Fourth India-Central Asia Dialogue to deliberate on impact of changing global dynamics in the region and discuss ways to boost multilateral cooperation.
The two-day dialogue hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) began today at the Sapru House.
"12 experts from Central Asian countries are participating in the dialogue. Overall, over 20 speakers, including those from India, will address different sessions over the two days," a senior official said.
The subject of the first session this morning was 'India-Central Asia amid Changing Global Dynamics' which was chaired by former foreign minister of Kyrgyz Republic.

Zilola Karimova, Head of Middle East Division, Information-analytical Centre for International Relations in Tashkent, said "the relationship in the region should be based on cooperation and not competition."
"We have been cooperating in areas of transport. And, Uzbekistan is ready to develop relationship with other countries based on mutual trust," she said.

When asked about Iran-Saudi Arabia relationship, Karimova said, "Our main policy is not interference but to resolve all issues with peaceful means. The relationship between the two countries is part of geopolitics and must be solved on a bilateral level."
Iskander Akylbayev, a foreign policy expert from Kazakhstan said, "Central Asia is being seen through a prism of the the Great Game. In terms of geopolitics, we are still not quite in the centre. Some say we are on the periphery. We are not all so united but there is an activation in that process."

Central Asia, in the modern context, generally includes five countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
"The region of Central Asia is poised to play greater regional and international role as the nearby economies of India and China are once again becoming the engines of global economic growth," the ICWA said.
The first India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyz Republic in 2012, second in Alamaty, Kazakhstan in 2013 and third in Dushanbe, capital city of Tajikistan.