Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Central Asia outreach attempts continue. The recent visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to Tajikistan is part of these efforts to gain foothold in the region.
In the past month, there has been an increased engagement with the region, with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visiting India for the first time and President Kovind reaching out to Tajikistan. Early next year, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will be visiting India.
Ever since PM Modi's visit to Tajikistan in 2015, there have been several high-level exchanges between the two countries. President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, visited India in December 2016. This was his fifth visit to the country.
Beyond just the high-level exchanges, the visit of President Kovind to Tajikistan saw India reaching out to the country in a softer manner as well. There was, of course, the “underlined need for long term bilateral defence cooperation'' and the need to combat extremism and terror. But there was also a move to establish more softer bonds.
India will literally bring light to Tajikistan. There has been a promise of India that it would help bring solar power to seven villages in Tajikistan. "We will undertake feasibility study of solar projects in seven villages in the country as requested by our host. We are also happy to provide two English language laboratories for Tajik military," Kovind said.
The two countries also hope to promote the International North-South Transport Corridor and other connectivity initiatives such as the development of Chabahar Port and the Ashgabat Agreement for smooth transportation of goods. There was an emphasis in the visit on increasing trade between the two countries.
This formula of reaching out through trade and culture is one that the government seems to be adopting. In Uzbekistan, there has been a push towards people to people contact, and promotion of films and culture. Such a move is expected to foster ties. This approach seems to have been adopted with Tajikistan as well. With Tajikistan, cinema may not have as much of an appeal, but there is poetry. “The two leaders agreed that the commemoration of memory of the great Tajik poet, Hero of Tajikistan, Mirzo Tursunzoda, who wrote eloquently about India and praised the friendly relations of the people of Tajikistan and India, will contribute to strengthening of cultural relations between the two countries,'' a joint statement read.
