Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In a landmark diplomatic initiative that significantly shaped India's foreign policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on an ambitious eight-day, five-nation tour of Central Asia in July 2015. This marathon journey was a cornerstone of India's strategy to strengthen its ties with its extended neighborhood and assert its influence as a leader of the Global South.
The extensive tour saw the Prime Minister visit Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, marking a comprehensive outreach to a region rich in energy resources and strategic importance. The visit was the first by an Indian Prime Minister to all five Central Asian nations in a single tour, signaling a major reset in India's engagement with the region.
A central pillar of the tour was the Prime Minister's participation in two crucial international summits held in Ufa, Russia: the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. A key diplomatic victory during this trip was the formal decision to induct India as a full member of the SCO, a major security and economic bloc dominated by China and Russia.
The agenda for the five-nation visit was broad and ambitious, focusing on three core areas:
Energy and Trade: Tapping into the vast energy reserves of Central Asia and boosting bilateral trade, which had remained below its potential.
Connectivity: Promoting new trade and transport corridors to connect India with the landlocked region, bypassing traditional routes.
Security and Counter-Terrorism: Enhancing cooperation to combat the rising threats of terrorism, religious extremism, and drug trafficking.
This tour was a clear articulation of India's "Connect Central Asia" policy. It was designed to counter the growing influence of other regional powers and position India as a reliable and stable partner. By engaging directly with all five nations, PM Modi aimed to revitalize historical connections and build a modern partnership based on shared economic and security interests, firmly cementing India's role as a key player in Eurasian geopolitics.
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