Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, June 5, 2025, to participate in the fourth India-Central Asia Dialogue and the India-Central Asia Business Council meeting.

His arrival was officially confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs, with details shared by spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Meredov’s visit coincides with the arrival of other Central Asian foreign ministers, including Tajikistan’s Sirojiddin Muhriddin and Kyrgyzstan’s Zheenbek Kulubaev, who are also in Delhi for the two-day diplomatic engagement.

The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in Samarkand in 2019, has become a vital ministerial platform for deepening ties between India and the five Central Asian republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Previous editions of the Dialogue have addressed regional security, counter-terrorism, connectivity, and economic cooperation, and this year’s meeting is set to build on those priorities with a focus on trade, infrastructure, technology, and joint development initiatives.

The Dialogue is being hosted by India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, with the official ministerial meeting scheduled for June 6, 2025. The ministers will also participate in the India-Central Asia Business Council, held in collaboration with FICCI, which serves as a business-to-business platform to promote trade, investment, and economic cooperation. The Business Council meeting, held on June 5, 2025, features industry sessions, B2B meetings, and sectoral networking to foster closer economic ties.

India’s engagement with Central Asia is rooted in centuries-old cultural and historical connections, notably through the spread of Buddhism and the establishment of early monasteries in the region. These ties have been revitalised in recent years, particularly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to all five Central Asian countries in 2015, and his participation in successive Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summits.

The first India-Central Asia Summit, held virtually in January 2022, resulted in the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, which institutionalized biennial summits and regular ministerial dialogues to ensure sustained engagement.

The 2025 Dialogue is expected to address shared challenges such as terrorism, regional security, and connectivity, while also exploring new avenues for cooperation in technology and development. India’s strategic outreach includes offering a $1-billion line of credit for infrastructure projects in Central Asia, capacity-building programs in counter-terrorism and cyber security, and collaboration on utilizing Iran’s Chabahar port to enhance regional trade. Defence cooperation, including joint military exercises and training, is also a growing pillar of the partnership.

Rashid Meredov’s visit to Delhi for the India-Central Asia Dialogue and Business Council reflects the growing momentum in India-Central Asia relations, with both sides committed to strengthening their strategic, economic, and cultural ties in the face of evolving regional and global challenges.

Based On ANI Report