Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov took part in the third meeting of the foreign ministers of the India-Central Asia Dialogue, held today in New Delhi, the press service of the Turkmen Foreign Ministry reported.

The participants in the Dialogue considered topical issues of further strengthening ties between India and the countries of Central Asia in the spheres of politics, economics, digitalization and cultural and humanitarian direction. An exchange of views took place on the current dynamics of regional cooperation, measures to jointly counter threats and challenges to stability.

In his speech, Rashid Meredov noted the consistent development of interaction between the states of Central Asia and India in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The minister also noted the presence of a great potential for cooperation, primarily in such sectors as pharmaceuticals, information technology, agriculture, energy, textile industry, etc.

To develop proposals for regional development, it was proposed to establish a platform “Forum of think tanks in India and Central Asia” with annual events, in turn in each of the countries participating in the format.

Particular attention at the meeting was paid to the situation in Afghanistan and the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences. The need to develop a post-conflict strategy with respect to this country in order to prevent its international isolation was emphasized.

Within the framework of the panel sessions, issues of providing humanitarian assistance and assistance to the socio-economic reconstruction of Afghanistan were discussed.

As a result of the event, a Joint Statement was adopted.