About Central Asia
Central Asia stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China in the east and from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north. It is also sometimes referred to as Middle Asia.
Central Asia include these five republics of the former Soviet .Union: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Since the earliest of times, Central Asia has been a crossroads between different civilizations. The Silk Road connected Muslim lands with the people of Europe, India, and China.
Islam is the religion most common in the Central Asian Republics. Most Central Asian Muslims are Sunni.
Agreements signed by Modi
Central Asia stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China in the east and from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north. It is also sometimes referred to as Middle Asia.
Central Asia include these five republics of the former Soviet .Union: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Since the earliest of times, Central Asia has been a crossroads between different civilizations. The Silk Road connected Muslim lands with the people of Europe, India, and China.
Islam is the religion most common in the Central Asian Republics. Most Central Asian Muslims are Sunni.
Agreements signed by Modi
Uzbekistan
Both nations agreed to intensity security cooperation & cyber security cooperation.
Both discussed steps to implement the contract signed earlier for supply of uranium from Uzbekistan.
Discussed initiatives to enhance surface connectivity.
India invited Uzbekistan to become a member of International North South Transport Corridor.
Also, both discussed about situation in Afghanistan.
Both agreed to expand cooperation in transport and communications. Particularly civil aviation and surface connectivity.
Uzbekistan reiterated its support to India’s candidature for permanent membership of the UN security council.
International North-South Transport Corridor:
It is a joint venture between Iran, India, Russia and Azerbaijan.
It will connect India to Central Asia through Iran via rail, road and ship network.
The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali
Goods from Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakistan, Turkmenistan can be sent to India through Iran’s Bandar Abbas port which is the fastest way to reach India.
Kazakhstan
India & Kazakhstan signed a deal for a renewed longterm supply of natural uranium. Kazakhstan is a leading uranium producer globally. It will supply 5,000 tonnes of uranium to India during 2015-19.
This is the second such agreement between Kazakhstan & India since 2009.
Both countries also signed defence cooperation pact.
Also a railway cooperation agreement was signed to boost connectivity.
Turkmenistan
Seven pacts were signed. Key agreements include on:
Supply of Chemical Products between India & Turkmenistan.
Cooperation In The Field Of Sports
Cooperation In Science And Technology
Cooperation in Yoga and Traditional Medicine
Cooperation In The Field Of Tourism
Cooperation in the field of Defence
India pitched for early implementation of the $10billion
TAPI gas pipeline project during talks with
Turkmenistan terming TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India)
project as a significant initiative in relationship between the two countries.
TAPI project
The TAPI gas project is an over 1,800km pipeline with design capacity to supply 3.2 billion cubic feet of Red line shows TAPI pipeline natural gas per annum from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The pipeline is expected to be operational by 2018 and will carry gas from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh field that holds gas reserves of 16 trillion cubic feet.
The project is being developed by the Asian Development Bank.
Kyrgyzstan
Inked four agreements, including defence cooperation a Memorandum of Mutual Understanding and Cooperation in the field of elections.
Also an agreement was signed between the two countries’ election commissions.
Both countries also inked an MoU on cooperation in the fields of standards and culture.
Tajikistan
India has an operating Indian military Air Base at Farkhor, Tajikistan. It is operated by the Indian Air Force in collaboration with the Tajikistan Air Force. Farkhor is India’s first and only military base outside its territory.
Tajikistan is also the nearest to India among all Central Asian countries.
Modi inked agreements on culture and human resource development with Tajikistan.
Both have also agreed to strengthen defence cooperation.
Other Trips covered:
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Modi attended Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit which took place at Ufa, Russia. India was granted a membership at this summit.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:
The SCO is a permanent regional association founded in Shanghai, China, on June 15, 2001.
Its activities include countering terrorism and extremism, cooperation in education as well as in the energy, oil and gas, transport, communication and other spheres.
The SCO comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status, while Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are partners for dialogue.
Russia has encouraged India to join the organisation as a fulltime member, because they see it as a crucial future strategic partner. China too welcomed India’s accession to the SCO. India applied for membership in September 2014.
2015 – India joins SCO:
On July 10 2015, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members, and they are expected to join SCO by 2016.
BRICS – 7th Summit
The 7th BRICS summit was held on 8 July 2015.
Here the BRICS nations decided to lend in their own local currencies to the New Development Bank starting April 2016.
What is New Development Bank:
The New Development Bank (NDB) is formerly called the BRICS Development Bank.
It is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). It is seen as an alternative to the existing USdominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The bank will be headquartered in Shanghai, China.
BRICS nations agreed to set up a bank in 2013. But the first agreement on the bank was signed in 2014 during 6th BRICS summit.
Capital of the Bank:
The bank’s primary focus of lending will be infrastructure projects.
The bank will have starting capital of $50 billion, with capital increased to $100 billion over time.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will initially contribute $10 billion each to bring the total to $50 billion.
Each member cannot increase its share of capital without all other 4 members agreeing. This was a primary requirement of India.
The bank will allow new members to join but the BRICS capital share cannot fall below 55%.
Who will be the President & Chairman?:
The first president will be from India.
The first Chairman of the Board of directors will come from Brazil
The first chairman of the Board of Governors will be Russian.
In 2015, K. V. Kamath was appointed as President of the Bank.
Veto Power:
Unlike the World Bank, which assigns votes based on capital share, in the New Development Bank
each participant country will be assigned one vote, and none of the countries will have veto power.
Both nations agreed to intensity security cooperation & cyber security cooperation.
Both discussed steps to implement the contract signed earlier for supply of uranium from Uzbekistan.
Discussed initiatives to enhance surface connectivity.
India invited Uzbekistan to become a member of International North South Transport Corridor.
Also, both discussed about situation in Afghanistan.
Both agreed to expand cooperation in transport and communications. Particularly civil aviation and surface connectivity.
Uzbekistan reiterated its support to India’s candidature for permanent membership of the UN security council.
International North-South Transport Corridor:
It is a joint venture between Iran, India, Russia and Azerbaijan.
It will connect India to Central Asia through Iran via rail, road and ship network.
The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali
Goods from Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakistan, Turkmenistan can be sent to India through Iran’s Bandar Abbas port which is the fastest way to reach India.
Kazakhstan
India & Kazakhstan signed a deal for a renewed longterm supply of natural uranium. Kazakhstan is a leading uranium producer globally. It will supply 5,000 tonnes of uranium to India during 2015-19.
This is the second such agreement between Kazakhstan & India since 2009.
Both countries also signed defence cooperation pact.
Also a railway cooperation agreement was signed to boost connectivity.
Turkmenistan
Seven pacts were signed. Key agreements include on:
Supply of Chemical Products between India & Turkmenistan.
Cooperation In The Field Of Sports
Cooperation In Science And Technology
Cooperation in Yoga and Traditional Medicine
Cooperation In The Field Of Tourism
Cooperation in the field of Defence
India pitched for early implementation of the $10billion
TAPI gas pipeline project during talks with
Turkmenistan terming TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India)
project as a significant initiative in relationship between the two countries.
TAPI project
The TAPI gas project is an over 1,800km pipeline with design capacity to supply 3.2 billion cubic feet of Red line shows TAPI pipeline natural gas per annum from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The pipeline is expected to be operational by 2018 and will carry gas from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh field that holds gas reserves of 16 trillion cubic feet.
The project is being developed by the Asian Development Bank.
Kyrgyzstan
Inked four agreements, including defence cooperation a Memorandum of Mutual Understanding and Cooperation in the field of elections.
Also an agreement was signed between the two countries’ election commissions.
Both countries also inked an MoU on cooperation in the fields of standards and culture.
Tajikistan
India has an operating Indian military Air Base at Farkhor, Tajikistan. It is operated by the Indian Air Force in collaboration with the Tajikistan Air Force. Farkhor is India’s first and only military base outside its territory.
Tajikistan is also the nearest to India among all Central Asian countries.
Modi inked agreements on culture and human resource development with Tajikistan.
Both have also agreed to strengthen defence cooperation.
Other Trips covered:
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Modi attended Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit which took place at Ufa, Russia. India was granted a membership at this summit.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:
The SCO is a permanent regional association founded in Shanghai, China, on June 15, 2001.
Its activities include countering terrorism and extremism, cooperation in education as well as in the energy, oil and gas, transport, communication and other spheres.
The SCO comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status, while Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are partners for dialogue.
Russia has encouraged India to join the organisation as a fulltime member, because they see it as a crucial future strategic partner. China too welcomed India’s accession to the SCO. India applied for membership in September 2014.
2015 – India joins SCO:
On July 10 2015, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members, and they are expected to join SCO by 2016.
BRICS – 7th Summit
The 7th BRICS summit was held on 8 July 2015.
Here the BRICS nations decided to lend in their own local currencies to the New Development Bank starting April 2016.
What is New Development Bank:
The New Development Bank (NDB) is formerly called the BRICS Development Bank.
It is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). It is seen as an alternative to the existing USdominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The bank will be headquartered in Shanghai, China.
BRICS nations agreed to set up a bank in 2013. But the first agreement on the bank was signed in 2014 during 6th BRICS summit.
Capital of the Bank:
The bank’s primary focus of lending will be infrastructure projects.
The bank will have starting capital of $50 billion, with capital increased to $100 billion over time.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will initially contribute $10 billion each to bring the total to $50 billion.
Each member cannot increase its share of capital without all other 4 members agreeing. This was a primary requirement of India.
The bank will allow new members to join but the BRICS capital share cannot fall below 55%.
Who will be the President & Chairman?:
The first president will be from India.
The first Chairman of the Board of directors will come from Brazil
The first chairman of the Board of Governors will be Russian.
In 2015, K. V. Kamath was appointed as President of the Bank.
Veto Power:
Unlike the World Bank, which assigns votes based on capital share, in the New Development Bank
each participant country will be assigned one vote, and none of the countries will have veto power.
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