New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Five Central Asian states on Friday joined India in strongly condemning the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and demanded that the perpetrators, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts be held accountable and punished.
The challenge of how to combat terrorism figured prominently at the fourth edition of the India-Central Asia Dialogue hosted by New Delhi, with a focus on expanding the overall trajectory of cooperation between the two sides in several key areas.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired the conclave that was attended by his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The foreign ministers of the Central Asian nations reaffirmed their support also for a permanent membership of India in an expanded UN Security Council.
A joint statement unveiled at the end of the deliberations said the ministers “unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam” and resolved to fight against terrorism in all its forms.
They reiterated that using terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, terror financing, dissemination of a radical ideology and abuse of cyberspace to spread disinformation goes against the basic principles of humanity and international relations, it said.
“They stressed that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice,” the statement said.
“In this context, they called for early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. They stressed the need to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation and fully implement the relevant UNSC resolutions, global counter-terrorism strategy and FATF standards,” it said.
The ministers also called for a “peaceful and stable” Afghanistan, free from terrorism, war and drugs. “They stressed the need to stand by the people of Afghanistan.” “The ministers agreed to continue close coordination and consultations on matters related to Afghanistan,” the statement noted.
The conclave also extensively deliberated on boosting connectivity in the region.
India welcomed the interest of Central Asian countries to utilise the services of the Shahid Beheshti terminal at the Chabahar Port for facilitating their trade with India and beyond.
The Shahid Beheshti terminal at the port is being operated by India.
“The sides agreed to continue engagement for further developing the transit and transport potential of their countries, through simplification and streamlining of goods transit procedures,” the joint statement added.
The ministers also emphasised optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries.
The INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. India has been supporting the project.
“They stressed that connectivity initiatives should be based on the principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries,” the statement said.
“India reiterated its support for the membership of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in INSTC. In this context, ministers appreciated the initiative taken by Kazakhstan to develop the eastern branch of INSTC,” it said.
In his opening remarks at the conclave, Jaishankar appreciated the Central Asian states for standing by India following the Pahalgam terror attack.
India would be a “trusted development partner” for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, he said.
“I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam,” he said.
Jaishankar said India “deeply cherishes” its millennia-old civilisational and cultural ties with Central Asia.
The external affairs minister said the cooperation between India and Central Asia received a “quantum boost” following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s back-to-back visits to all five countries in the region in July 2015.
“Today, we are well-connected by multiple direct flights. Our enhanced connectivity facilitates greater two-way tourist flows and businesses,” he said.
Jaishankar said both India and the Central Asian nations are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in areas of trade and investment, defence, regional connectivity, security and new and emerging technologies.
The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in January 2019 in Samarkand, is a meeting of foreign ministers.
It serves as a key platform for strengthening ties between India and Central Asia.
The second meeting took place virtually in October 2020 and focused on regional security, counter-terrorism, and infrastructure development. PTI MPB VN VN
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