The visit of Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister, Saidov Bakhtiyor, to India earlier this week provides an opportunity to not only assess the current interaction between India and Uzbekistan but also of this country with the Central Asian Republics (CARs). It has been India’s constant desire to enhance its ties with these states after they were formed with the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. These states too have reciprocated this interest. Geographical realities have, however, prevented the growth in India’s relations with the region. India and the CARs best access to each other is via the land route. Here Pakistan has denied India access to Afghanistan via the Punjab route. Besides, the unsettled conditions that have continued to prevail in Afghanistan have also prevented the development of direct land connectivity between India and the CARs. 

After their formation the CARs have had to deal with the reality of the great leap made by China. Global relations have been transformed because of the rise of China which has been manifest in the past three decades. China has laid great emphasis in knitting the CARs region with itself through the development of connectivity projects. Its vehicle for this purpose has been its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Naturally the CARs want to gain what they can from their relations with China. 

In addition to China there is one other geopolitical........

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