India and Kyrgyztan are conducting joint research on testing human response to high altitude exposure. The research is of special interest for defence forces, specially in India, where the army has to uphold Siachen, the world's highest battlefield.
G.V. Srinivas, joint secretary of Eurasia in the ministry of external affairs (MEA), said that India had helped set up a “supreme altitude” laboratory in Kyrgyzstan recently.
The research is the latest in a series of bilateral activities that have energised India's relationships with the Central Asian neighbour. Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev is visiting India next week, a step that will further cement ties between the two countries. This is the first India visit of a head of state from Kyrgyzstan in 13 years. It follows Prime Minister Naredra Modi visit to that country last year, which also was a prime ministerial visit after 20 years.
Atambayev is coming with a business delegation of 50, which will participate in a meeting with India's three commerce chambers—FICCI, ASSOCHAM and CII.
“We are partners in development,'' said Srinivas. India helped set up telemedicine in Kyrgyzstan, connecting some areas to super speciality centres. The system has taken off well and Kyrgyzstan has requested setting up of telemedicine for three more regions in the country. Incidentally, several Indian students go to Kyrgyzstan to study medicine.
Kyrgyzstan is important for India since it supports New Delhi's bid to the United Nations Security Council. Recent air connectivity has made travel easier between the two countries, and the bilateral meeting will now focus on improving land connectivity—a challenge when it comes to Central Asia because of both geography and politics. The distance between the two countries is just 1600 km, shorter than between several points within India. But lack of connectivity has been a problem.