It was a poetic bonding. Literally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented President Atambayev a collection of Indian poems in Kyrgyz. Returning the favour, the President of Kyrgyzstan presented Modi with a heroic epic of his people. Going beyond culture, the two leaders promised to bring the countries closer economically.
This is the first visit of the President to India after he assumed office. “We focused on our common priority of diversifying and deepening bilateral engagement,’’ said Prime Minister Modi in a press statement. “We also discussed on how we could work together to secure our youth and society against the common challenges of terrorism, extremism, and radicalism.”
Atambayev's visit comes on the heels of obe by the president of Tajikistan—a signal that India is making a serious effort to woo Central Asia beyond just Iran.
On a four-day state visit, the President is hoping to attract more investment from India. This fits completely with Modi’s emphasis on economic linkages and foreign policy. The trade between the two countries stood at 27.99 million dollars in the last fiscal, with India’s exports to Kyrgyzstan amounting to 26.20 million dollars.
The Bilateral Investment Treaty was also initiated on Tuesday.Connectivity figured prominently in the discussions. “Both sides noted that cargo movement on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) would be a significant step towards solving logistics issues and would give a fillip to India-Kyrgyzstan trade relations,” the joint statement said. The two also agreed that the Chabahar Port will provide the “shortest connectivity” for the two countries. This helps India win more friends in the area to ensure that the Chabahar Port—will be a success.
The two countries have so far had a successful defence cooperation. The "Khanjar” series of India-Kyrgyzstan military exercises has become an annual event. The next stage of the exercise will be held in Kyrgyzstan in March 2017. India and Kyrgyzstan are jointly constructing the Kyrgyz-Indian Mountain Training Centre in the city of Balykchy. This Centre will provide instruction and training for personnel of the Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as to host Kyrgyz-Indian joint mountain training exercises.
The two sides “resolved to work towards effective visa facilitation.”
