The geostrategic significance of Central Asia is very much important from India’s foreign policy and domestic policy points of view. Central Asia shares a border with China in the East, Caspian in the West, Russia in the North, and Iran and Afghanistan in the south. Its geostrategic location makes it vulnerable to the geopolitical power play. In order to balance major powers, Central Asian republics adopted a multi-vector foreign policy in the post-Soviet period. They welcomed China to balance the Russian and Western influence.

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are three Central Asian countries that share geographical boundaries and cross-border ethnic linkages with Afghanistan. As a result, the developments in Afghanistan have directly impacted these countries. Although the majority of the population in Central Asia is Muslim, they have quite varied religious perspectives due to the long shadow cast by the Soviet Union’s communist regime. On the other hand, the Taliban administration in Kabul in the 1990s intended to establish an Islamic caliphate, which was unacceptable to its Central Asian neighbours.

Central Asia’s geostrategic location at the crossroads of East and West has shaped substantial geopolitical rivalries in the region. Even though the region is within Russia’s sphere of influence, China has made significant advances in Central Asia after the fall of the Soviet Union due to the Central Asian republics’ multi-vector foreign policy. Turkey has a considerable interest in this geopolitically crucial region for two primary reasons.

Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a virtual interaction with Mr. Manish Prabhat, Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan, on ‘India-Uzbekistan Relations and the regional dynamics’ on October 4, 2021, to discuss the current status of Indo-Uzbek relations and regional security and strategic dimensions. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, delivered the opening remarks. Amb Amar Sinha, Amb. P. S.