India needs stronger, prominent presence in Central Asia based on PM's successful foreign policy: Expert
India needs a stronger and prominent presence in Central Asia in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successful foreign policy outreach and there are several promising areas of cooperation including in the fields of green energy and digital technologies, according to Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies chief expert Aliya Mussabekova.
“Foreign policy of PM Modi over the last ten years was very successful; here in Kazakhstan we feel its cooperative and supportive interest in our country as well as in the region. But in my point of view, there is a need for a stronger and more prominent Indian presence in Central Asia,” Mussabekova, a leading strategic affairs expert in Kazakhstan, told ET.
“I work at an analytical centre, and I can say that even at the level of relations between think tanks, we do not have an established ongoing dialogue. For instance, representatives from Kazakhstan do not participate in the main Indian forum, the Raisina Dialogue,” Mussabekova noted.
“Regarding the economy, Kazakhstan is India's primary trading partner in Central Asia, and we have well-developed trade relations, but they certainly need to be expanded. I believe promising areas of cooperation would include digital technologies (where India is a leader), green energy and processing of critical future materials, chemical industry, engineering, and the creative sector,” she suggested.
On Kazakhstan’s ties with China and Russia, Mussabekova said: “The connections of Central Asian countries with Russia and China are
