In News :

Context :

• External Affairs Minister will be on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan. Ms Swaraj will be in Samarkand for the First India-Central Asia Dialogue which she will co-chair with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov. Foreign Minister of Afghanistan will participate in the Dialogue as a special invitee for the session dedicated to connectivity issues in the region. Foreign Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan will also participate in the dialogue.

First India-Central Asia Dialogue :

• The External Affairs Ministry said, bound together by shared history and cultural linkages, India and the Central Asian states look forward to the Dialogue as an important initiative to enhance their cooperation in wide-ranging spheres.
• These include exploring ways to substantially enhance India’s economic involvement in business and development sector of Central Asia.
• The Ministry said, with the participation of Afghanistan, the participants of the dialogue will also deliberate on developing viable connectivity options between India and Afghanistan and Central Asia to further facilitate trade and economic activity in the region.