Context:

• Uzbekistan hosted a high-level International Conference titled “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities” at Tashkent.
• It was attended by President of Afghanistan, Ministers from Central Asian, West Asian and South Asian countries, including Minister of External Affairs of India.
• Delegates from over 40 countries and about 30 international organizations, and heads of think tanks participated in the conference.

Central Asian Connectivity

• The Iranian port of Chabahar has the potential to shift some of the regional dynamics in India’s favor.
• Double landlocked Uzbekistan has been interested in using the port to expand its trade and transit options.
• Uzbekistan has already developed rail connectivity into Afghanistan as a means to link with Iranian railway lines reflects Tashkent’s seriousness.
• Other Central Asian states like Kazakhstan have also been interested in exploring such options.
• Given the geostrategic location of Central Asia, the region is also witnessing a fair share of great power competition.
• The region is viewed as Russia’s immediate backyard and Moscow has traditionally maintained a dominant role in relations with Central Asia, China has steadily strengthened its footprint. India has also been pursuing both geopolitical and economic ties with the region.

What Chabahar can offer?

• Chabahar has the potential to shift some of the regional dynamics in India’s favor.
• First, it could prove to be a gateway to Central Asia and Eurasia, which can, most importantly, avoid Pakistan.
• It is seen as an effort at exploring an alternate option for Central Asia to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Measures taken to improve ties:

• India has made consistent efforts to re-establish linkages with this region and consider Central Asia a part of the India’s extended neighborhood. But lack of physical connectivity has proven to be a major hurdle in building trade and economic ties.
• Modi became the first Indian leader to travel to all five Central Asian republics – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – in 2015.
• In addition to energy security cooperation, India and Central Asia have both shunned Islamic terrorism and extremist ideology. Fighting cross-border terrorism has become an important common issue shaping their agenda.
• India has also been stepping up defense cooperation with the region, with a defense attaché posted in each of the Indian missions in Central Asia.
• India and Uzbekistan signed a civil nuclear agreement in January 2019 and agreed to pursue connectivity projects via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

INSTC

• INSTC is a multi-modal infrastructure initiative spanning around 7,200 km.
• It encompasses a network of ship, rail and road routes for transporting freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and Europe, with the goal of creating transport linkages among major cities including Astrakhan, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Moscow, and Mumbai.
• Feasibility studies undertaken so far has shown significant reduction of transportation costs, to the tune of $2,500 per 15 tons of cargo.
• India is “pitching for” Uzbek participation in the INSTC connectivity project.

https://newsonair.com/2021/07/24/central-south-asia-connectivity-conference-2021/

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