He said, “India deeply cherishes its historical ties with the countries of Central Asia. Look forward to working together to further deepen our cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, fintech, food security and health for mutual progress and prosperity.” India earlier appreciated the Central Asian countries for standing by it following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, and reaffirmed that it would be a “trusted development partner” for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his opening remarks at the India-Central Asia Dialogue said that India is keen to expand cooperation with the five countries in a range of areas, including connectivity, trade, tourism and education. PTI KR HIG
