First meeting of India-Central Asia Summit concludes; leaders call for 'world free of terror'
India Today
A declaration issued after the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Summit said the two sides acknowledged that defence cooperation constitutes an important pillar between India and the Central Asian countries.
India and five Central Asian countries on Thursday asserted that providing support, using proxies for cross-border terrorism and terror financing go against the basic principles of humanity, as they called for combating the menace comprehensively to achieve a "world free of terror".
The assertion was made at the first India-Central Asia Summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that was attended by five presidents -- Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan's Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyz Republic.
A Delhi Declaration issued after the summit said the two sides acknowledged that defence cooperation constitutes an important pillar between India and the Central Asian countries.
READ: Coordination must for regional stability: PM Modi at first India-Central Asia Summit
The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan expressed satisfaction over regular bilateral military counter-terrorism exercises with India.
They also agreed to consider holding of joint counter-terrorism exercises between India and interested Central Asian countries, the declaration said.
The Kazakh President Tomkayev expressed gratitude to Modi for the continued co-deployment of Kazakh troops within the Indian battalion in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
