Ajit Doval calls for regional stability, counter-terror cooperation at India–Central Asia security meet

New Delhi, Oct 17: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval represented India at the third India–Central Asia Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Council/National Security Advisers, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, where he called for deeper cooperation to address emerging regional security challenges. Doval joined his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, while Tajikistan was represented by its Deputy Secretary of the Security Council. The meeting focused on counter-terrorism, radicalisation, extremism, and narcotics trafficking, with all sides underlining the need for regular dialogue amid an evolving security landscape.

Emphasising that stability in Afghanistan is crucial for regional peace, Doval and other participants agreed to work closely with Kabul to address security concerns and promote connectivity and economic development as foundations for long-term stability.

“Security and prosperity must go hand in hand,” Doval is understood to have conveyed during the deliberations, highlighting the need for a collective regional approach. The NSAs also agreed to enhance connectivity between India and Central Asian nations, and to broaden cooperation to new areas including digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and space technology. On the sidelines of the meeting, Doval called on Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, along with the other participating Secretaries of Security Councils, and held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The Bishkek meeting marks another step in the growing institutionalisation of India–Central Asia engagement, following the first India–Central Asia Summit in January 2022, which established this NSA-level dialogue. The previous meetings were held in New Delhi (December 2022) and Astana (October 2023). This year’s talks also come in the backdrop of the 4th India–Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, hosted by New Delhi in June 2025.