Afghan, terror to top agenda at NSAS’ meet

The security situation in Afghanistan, terrorism emanating from that country and the scourge in general, countering the threat of radicalisation, and improving connectivity with Central Asian states will top the agenda of the inaugural meeting between national security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, people familiar with the matter said on the eve of the summit.

The fifth Central Asian country, Turkmenistan, will be represented by its ambassador to India.

The maiden one-day NSA level meet on Tuesday comes on the back of the first summit in January 2022 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The developments reflect India’s growing engagement with Central Asia, which New Delhi perceives as part of its extended neighbourhood.

“The Afghanistan security situation and the evolving dynamics there will figure in the talks.

India and the Central Asian countries have shared interests in peace and security in that region. Central Asian countries that share land borders with Afghanistan have been at the receiving end after last year’s events,” said one of the officials, referring to the Taliban’s takeover of the country in mid-august 2021. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan share land borders with Afghanistan.

The tactics and techniques used by different terror outfits, including their actions in cyberspace, are a shared concern between India and Central Asia and will up for discussions, HT has learnt.

Improving connectivity with the Central Asian countries, including the importance of Iran’s Chabahar port, is also on the agenda, the official said, seeking anonymity. “Integrating Chabahar with the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC, a 7,200km multimode route spanning 13 countries) and other alternatives for improving connectivity with Central Asia will be discussed,” he added.

India is also marking the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties with the Central Asian nations.