New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday said that economic growth is universally driven by 3Cs: Connectivity, Commerce and Contacts. Speaking at the Plenary Session “Central and South Asia: Connectivity”, in Tashkent he said, "Economic growth is universally driven by 3Cs: connectivity, commerce and contacts and all three need to come together to ensure regional cooperation and prosperity".
The conference has been hosted by Uzbekistan to significantly boost connectivity between the two regions. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Afghan Prez Ashraf Ghani and leaders from around 35 countries attended the conference.
"The challenge we face is that politics, vested interests and instability can be formidable impediments to its realization. There are lessons too from our experiences that need to be understood", he added during his address. The real issues are of mindsets, not of disputes. Blocking connectivity in practice while professing support in principle benefits no one. A one-sided view of trade rights and obligations can never work. No serious connectivity can ever be a one-way street, he reiterated.
He further highlighted that the robust connectivity within and between Central and South Asia is rooted in history. "India’s focus in the last few years has been to rebuild links that were diminished by the colonial period. We have progressed in the Indian Sub-continent and eastwards to the Indo-Pacific. Our horizons extend from Vladivostok to the Gulf and East Africa. However, the challenges towards Central-Asia and Eurasia remain to the addressed", Jaishankar pointed out.
It is worth noting that since 2016, India has taken practical steps to operationalize the Chabahar port in Iran. This provides secure, viable and unhindered access to the sea for Central Asian countries. Its efficacy is now clearly proven. "We have proposed to include the Chabahar port in the framework of INSTC. The formation of India-Uzbekistan-Iran-Afghanistan Quadrilateral Working Group on the joint use of Chabahar port is a welcome development" the External Affairs Minister added.
He stressed that connectivity acquires a particular salience in the context of post-Covid economic recovery and said that it is itself an economic multiplier. "Development and prosperity go hand in hand with peace and security. For reliable connectivity within and through Afghanistan, the world must have confidence in its governance. Our connectivity deliberations expect predictability, efficiency and observance of norms of our time as its foundation", he further stated.
"While expanding connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia, we need to address not just physical infrastructure but all its accompanying facets, he said, while adding that tourism and societal contacts can create a fostering enabling environment," said Jaishankar. He further explained that, at the end of the day, building connectivity is an act of trust and must, at the minimum, conform to international law. Respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity are the most basic principles of international relations. Connectivity efforts must be based on economic viability and financial responsibility," he explained.
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