For more than two millennia, India has had historical and civilizational ties with Central Asia. Meanwhile, India's foreign policy has served a variety of purposes since independence.As a country seeking to play a global role in international developments, India has long sought a foothold in Central Asia.The Central Asia which includes five landlocked and Muslim-majority countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, has been faced with the rise of Islamic extremism and some other security challenges.(Photo quoted from Yahoo’s image)
India also faces the challenge of extremist Islamism, especially in Kashmir, and the threat of links between Islamic extremists with other extremists in Central Asia and Xinjiang.
One of India's most prominent concerns has been the possibility of infiltration of Pakistan in Central Asia by resorting to Islamic extremists and expanding ties with these governments against New Delhi.
Some in Delhi believe that Pakistan has tried to use the tools of extremist Islam to put pressure on India by investing in Islamists in Kashmir and allying with Islamic extremists in Central Asia.Accordingly, India not only does not have direct access to the area, but also faces obstacles from Pakistan.
Therefore, in competition with Pakistan, India seeks to expand its political and security ties with Central Asian countries to prevent secession, terrorism, transnational organized crime such as narcotics, fundamentalism and extremism, and its spillover to India.
In this regard, India has common interests with the founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the fight against Islamic extremism, separatism and terrorism.
In other words, one of India's main concerns is its unclear relations with Pakistan and instability in Afghanistan. In fact, by raising the level of relations and meetings with Central Asian countries, India has tried to cooperate with these countries to help fight terrorist groups as well as to establish stability and security in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, security cooperation with Central Asian countries, including joint research, coordination on counter-terrorism measures, security of goods and transportation of energy resources, and special focus on Afghanistan (whose security is also very important for India and Central Asia) can be important opportunities for India.
Another factor is India's rivalry with China, which has influenced New Delhi's policy in Central Asia. Moreover, India expects more stable relations in the Biden tenure.
In the eyes of many in the United States, India is potentially the best option to contain China across Asia. Therefore, the best option is strengthening India's security and military presence near its borders with Central Asia and expanding India's relations in the region.
What is clear is that economic and security interests are closely linked. In other words, military power and political influence are important components that help to advance India's economic goals in India's foreign policy. On the other hand, the economic benefits and the increase of national wealth are not only a source of national power and strengthen India's national security, but also increase India's foreign political influence. Given India's growing power in diplomacy, economics, technology, and soft power spheres, increasing its global standing, and diverse geopolitical interests and needs, New Delhi will have a wider security presence in Central Asia.
India's military position in the region is almost zero. Therefore, New Delhi is trying to increase its presence in this region. For this purpose, countries such as Tajikistan (bordering China and Afghanistan) are of more strategic importance.
Farzad Ramezani Bonesh
Senior Researcher and Analyst of International Affairs
