MoU in the field of Disaster Management: India -Turkmenistan

• 08 Jan 2022

For Prelims: Location of Turkmenistan and Central Asian Nations, TAPI Pipeline, Ashgabat Agreement.

For Mains: Significance of Central Asian countries for India and related challenges.

Why in News

Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Turkmenistan on Cooperation in the field of Disaster Management.

Key Points

• About:
  • The MoU seeks to put in place a system whereby both countries will benefit from the Disaster Management mechanisms of each other.
  • It will help in strengthening the areas of preparedness, response and capacity building in the field of Disaster Management.
  • India currently has bilateral or multilateral agreements, MoUs, joint declaration of Intent or Memorandums of Cooperation in disaster management with Switzerland, Russia, Germany, Japan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Italy and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
• India -Turkmenistan Relations:
  • Turkmenistan shares borders with Kazakhstan in the north, Uzbekistan in the north and North-east, Iran in the South and Afghanistan in the Southeast.
  • India's 'Connect Central Asia' policy 2012 envisages deeper mutual relations with the region and energy linkage is an important component of the policy.
  • India has joined the Ashgabat agreement, which envisages setting up of an international transport and transit corridor linking central Asia with the Persian Gulf to significantly ramp up trade and investment.
  • India considers the TAPI pipeline (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) a 'key pillar' in its economic relations with Turkmenistan.
  • In 2015, Hindi Chair was established in Azadi Institute of World languages, Ashgabat where Hindi is being taught to university students.
  • India provides training for Turkmen nationals under ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) programme.
  • Turkmenistan supports India’s permanent position in the UN Security Council.
  • Turkmenistan is a USD 40 billion plus economy, but the bilateral trade with India is below its potential. India can increase its economic presence in Turkmenistan, particularly in the Information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. This would help maintain the future balance of trade.
  • Recently, the 3^rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in New Delhi.
    • It is a ministerial-level dialogue between India and the Central Asian countries namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Source: PIB