On March 12, 2025, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) hosted a meeting with Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, the President of the Institute of Global Studies and Pankaj Kumar Vidyarthi, the Defence Attaché of the Embassy of India in Kazakhstan. The discussion focused on the prospects for further cooperation between think tanks of Kazakhstan and India, as well as the strengthening of comprehensive partnerships between the two countries.
KazISS Director Yerkin Tukumov emphasized that Kazakhstan and India continue to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors. He highlighted the high level of engagement between the two sides, particularly in trade and economic relations, as well as cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
Ambassador Sajjanhar noted that interest in Kazakhstan is steadily increasing in India, recognizing Kazakhstan as a key player in Central Asia and on the global stage. He specifically mentioned Kazakhstan’s active participation in and support for Afghanistan’s economic and infrastructural reconstruction efforts. According to him, this aligns closely with India’s contributions, as India has also been significantly involved in providing technical assistance to Afghanistan.
Special attention was given to expanding cooperation in transport, communication, logistics, and nuclear energy sectors. The parties expressed confidence in the necessity of both countries’ participation in the development of the Trans-Afghan Corridor. The Indian side particularly emphasized the importance of developing the Chabahar Port, which serves as one of the shortest trade routes between India and Central Asian countries via Iran.
Participants of the meeting discussed specific measures to enhance the effectiveness of the partnership between India and Kazakhstan. This included the possibility of joint projects, research, and development initiatives, as well as ways to improve mutual investment attractiveness and create new economic opportunities. Both sides also underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation in expert-analytical activities between scientific institutions in both countries.
