The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, February 1, 2003, Chandigarh, India

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India plays Central Asia card
Forges strategic ties to counter Pak
Rajeev Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 31
External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha today completed a crucial visit to two Central Asian nations, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, at the end of which New Delhi clinched a much closer strategic cooperation with this region, which Pakistan has been using as its strategic hinterland against India.

As Indian diplomacy is charting new courses and focussing on post-September 11 Central Asia, India has forged strategic ties with Tajikistan, the “Gateway to Afghanistan from the North” and Kyrgyzstan, an important “Silk Route” country.

Mr Sinha had meetings with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Mr Sinha’s meetings with Tajik Defence Minister Khairulloev and Kyrgyzstan Defence Minister Egen Topoev were of a sensitive nature and should be viewed against the backdrop of India’s increasing military presence in the Central Asian region, particularly since September 11, well-placed sources here said.

The level of strategic cooperation between India and Tajikistan can be gauged by the fact that Dushanbe had last year given to New Delhi a military base, India’s first foreign military base which materialised despite stiff opposition from Pakistan.

Two other Central Asian countries — Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan — are key for India in developing the Tajikistan military base.

Significantly, Mr Sinha, in his address at the Kyrgyz National State University today, spoke volumes about India’s age-old ties with Central Asia and the latter’s strategic importance for India. Mr Sinha said: “Your region has for a long time been India’s connection with the West and the North. And in doing so, Central Asia has truly been at the confluence of civilisations... The trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Turkmenistan has started working... The North-South corridor is another attempt at making the flow of goods to Central Asia faster. But we are looking beyond these routes.”

After roping in Iran to have better accessibility with Afghanistan and Central Asia, India has now enlisted Tajikistan’s support in this endeavour, which would be a huge setback to Pakistan, which once used Afghanistan for “strategic depth”.

India had last year set up a consulate in a major Afghanistan city Mazar-e-Sharif, which is close to Tajikistan. During the Taliban regime, India was in close touch with the Northern Alliance, an Afghan outfit patronised by Tajikistan.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs here, during his just-concluded visit to Tajikistan — the first-ever by an Indian Foreign Minister — and Kyrgyzstan, Mr Sinha signed several agreements. In Tajikistan, Mr Sinha met President Rakhomonov, Prime Minister Akil Akilov and Foreign Minister Nazarov, apart from Defence Minister Khairulloev, while in Kyrgyzstan he met President Askar Akaev, Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev and Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov.

During Mr Sinha’s visit to Tajikistan, India and Tajikistan agreed to set up a joint working group (JWG) on counter-terrorism and also decided to have a joint business council to boost bilateral trade, which stands at a dismal $ 3 million per annum.

In Kyrgyzstan, Mr Sinha today signed a consular convention which would take care of problems being faced by the two countries’ visa seekers. Kyrgyz Air, which had been operating once a week, will now operate direct flights between India and Kyrgyzstan thrice a week.

The two countries also decided that the CII will soon hold an exhibition of 100-odd businessmen in Bishkek.