New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while delivering his opening remarks at the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue, thanked the Central Asian countries for their support in condemning the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

'I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam,' Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar acknowledged that India's ties with Central Asian countries have evolved over several millennia.

'We have marked three decades of our contemporary diplomatic ties with our Central Asian partners in 2022. We have worked together and laid down the legal and institutional framework, which has provided the foundation to further our mutually beneficial cooperation with each other individually, as well as collectively. Our cooperation with Central Asian countries received a quantum boost with Prime Minister Modi's back-to-back visits to all five Central Asian capitals in July 2015,' he recounted.

Jaishankar said that ties with these countries have evolved significantly from civilizational bonds.

'India deeply cherishes its millennia-old civilizational and cultural ties with Central Asia. These age-old bonds forged through trade, exchange of ideas, and people-to-people contacts have strengthened over time, evolving into a partnership which is defined by shared aspirations, shared opportunities and common challenges,' he said.

He added that ties, especially in terms of trade, have improved in the last decade, and that Central Asian countries remain an attractive student destination to pursue higher studies.

'Trade, economic and investment ties between us have strengthened significantly over the last decade. Today, we have a well-connected by multiple direct flights, our enhanced connectivity facilitates greater two-way tourist flows and businesses. A large number of Indian students pursue a higher education in your countries, strengthening the bond between us,' he said.

Jaishankar said that India remains a trusted development partner for the Central Asian nations.

'India remains a trusted development partner for all of you. Together with I-Tech training slots and ICCR scholarships, which are the most well-known forms of our development partnerships, we have also started providing High-Impact Community Development Projects as Indian grants for socio-economic development. Such projects have included equipping schools with computers and providing hospitals with medical equipment,' he said.

'It is our mutual recognition of the importance of India-Central Asia cooperation that we raised it to the leaders' level for the first time as a virtual summit in January 2022, which added more strands to our cooperation. Today, trade ministers, culture ministers, and NSAs exchange views on delegations and special training classes for diplomats are among the notable features of our relationship,' he said.

Jaishankar further talked about their discussion that took place on Thursday on digital technology and fintech, which would potentially boost the existing relations in various areas.

'Yesterday, we had a fruitful discussion at the India Central Asia Business Council to remove impediments and add cooperation in digital technology, fintech, and inter-bank relations to the existing list of areas so that we can realise the full potential of our economic cooperation,' he said.

Jaishankar said that both India and Central Asian partners are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation across all sectors, and hoped that the deliberations would help strengthen these ties.

'India and Central Asian partners are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation across all sectors, particularly trade and investment, defence, agro processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, regional connectivity, security, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges, as well as new and emerging technologies. These areas will be on the agenda of our meeting today. I am sure that these deliberations would help us in forging even closer, deeper, stronger and wider partnership which would serve the interest of the people of our countries,' he said. (ANI)