At the Centre: On India-Central Asia summit

January 30, 2022

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

The first India-Central Asia Summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, officials said on Thursday.

As the joint statement at the end of the India-Central Asia virtual summit noted, ties between India and the region have been historically close, with “civilizational, cultural, trade and people-to-people linkages”, but the lack of access to land routes, and the situation in Afghanistan are among the biggest challenges.
It was a first dialogue held with the Presidents of the 5 CARs(Central Asian Republics), building on years of dialogue.
The summit also came after the meeting of NSAs in Delhi, where they built on several common themes of concern and priority.

Challenges for India:

Small trade volume — a paltry $2 billion, spent mostly on Kazakhstan’s energy exports to India. In comparison, China’s CAR trade figures have exceeded $41 billion — they could double by 2030 — apart from the billions of dollars invested in the Belt and Road Initiative.
There is the problem of routing trade: With Pakistan denying India transit trade,
US Sanctions on Iran: New Delhi’s other option is to smoothen the route through Iran’s Chabahar port, but that will involve greater investment in rail and road routes to Iran’s northern boundaries with the CARs, something India is hesitant to do in the face of U.S. sanctions.
INSTC not complete: A third option is to use the Russia-Iran International North-South Transport Corridor via Bandar Abbas port, but this is not fully operational and at least two CARs (Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) are not members.
The TAPI Challenge: India too, has dragged its feet over TAPI gas pipeline plans (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India), due to supply guarantees, given the tensions with Pakistan.
The Afghanistan Challenge: the tenuous link between Central Asia and South Asia, where after the Taliban takeover, there is no official government, a humanitarian crisis is building, and there are worries of terrorism and radicalism spilling over its boundaries.

Discussion themes:

Each theme has been outlined in the summit joint statement as areas to work upon. They have also agreed to more structured engagement, including the setting up of joint working groups, on Afghanistan and Chabahar, and more educational and cultural opportunities.

Overcoming the lack of land connectivity between India and Central Asia’s landlocked countries.
Concerns over Afghanistan: sharing the “same concerns and same objectives” in broader terms and agreed to setting up a Joint Working Group (JWG) of senior officials, said Reenat Sandhu, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Listing those concerns as the need for immediate humanitarian assistance, ensuring the formation of a truly representative and inclusive government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, and preserving the rights of women, children and minorities.

Competition from other nations-

While the attempt by India to institutionalize exchanges and press the pedal on trade, investment and development partnerships with the CARs is timely, it is by no means the only country strengthening its ties here.
While Russia is the most strategic player, China is now the biggest development and infrastructure partner to the countries. The CAR Presidents held a similar virtual summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier.
Pakistan has also increased its outreach to the CARs, signing transit trade agreements, offering trade access to the Indian Ocean at Gwadar and Karachi.
India will need to move nimbly to ensure it stays in step with the changes, and to make certain the future of ties more closely resembles the deep ties of the distant past.

Outcome:

Proposal of more meetings: Modi also proposed a number of high-level exchanges between the two sides, including biannual summits and annual meetings of the Foreign, Trade and Cultural Ministers and Secretaries of Security (National Security Advisers) to “strengthen cooperation in the areas of political and development, partnership, trade and connectivity, culture and tourism and security”.
They also announced two “Joint Working Groups” on Afghanistan and the Chabahar port project.
Delhi Declaration: the “Delhi Declaration” joint statement issued at the end of the 90-minute summit emphasised that “Further development of mutual connectivity is essential for enhanced trade and commerce between India and Central Asian countries in the context of their landlocked nature and lack of overland connectivity with India.”

The Hindu link

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/at-the-centre-the-hindu-editorial-on-india-central-asia-summit/article38341179.ece

Question- Describe the significance of Central Asian republics for India in terms of trade, connectivity and security.