Text of PM’s statement to media in the joint press briefing with President of Kyrgyzstan at Bishkek

President Almazbek Atambaev, Members of the media, It is a great pleasure to visit this beautiful country. I am deeply touched by the warmth and the hospitality. Close ties over centuries creates a special kind of closeness and goodwill that adds a lot of charm and interest to the visit. Kyrgystan and India are also united by the bonds of shared democratic values. We see an important place for Central Asia in India’s future. We can reinforce each other’s economic progress. Sustainable development is important for both. We can contribute to cooperation and integration across the different regions of Asia. We both seek a peaceful and secure neigbourhood at a time of challenges in our region. And, we have shared interest in combating extremism and terrorism that has become a threat without borders. My visit to all five countries in the region demonstrates the importance that we attach to a new level of relationship with Central Asia. Kyrgystan is a key part of that vision. I was pleased to meet President Atambaev. His contribution to democracy and development is admirable. I am delighted that our Election Commissions have signed an agreement on cooperation. We also look forward to the visit of a Kyrgyz Parliamentary delegation to India after the parliamentary elections in the Kyrgyz Republic. I had very enriching discussion with President Atambaev. I deeply appreciate his commitment to the relationship. We spoke at length about strengthening our relations in trade, investment, tourism, culture and human resource development. I welcome the agreements on Standards and on Culture today. Collective initiative between India and Central Asia will boost our economic ties. I look forward to the launch of the tele-medicine link with India. It is the first in the region. And, it tells us about the possibilities of the digital world. We will also initiate the second Phase of the Kyrgyz-India Mountain Bio-Medical Research Center. We will enhance our engagement in capacity building and increase the training offers for Kyrgystan to 100 this year. I am pleased that we have established a India-Kyrgyz Centre for Information Technology in the Kyrgyz State University in Bishkek. Information technology is critical for success today and for creating opportunities for the youth. We will be pleased to set up similar Centres in other major cities in Kyrgystan. Agriculture is an important sector in both India and the Kyrgyz Republic. We will shortly hold a round table in Bishkek to explore possible avenues for cooperation and identify concrete projects in the agriculture sector. Later today, I will have the privilege of unveiling the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the street that bears his name. I thank the people of Kyrgystan for this honour. His life and message are universal and timeless. This statue will also remind the residents of our shared values. Kyrgystan’s commitment to the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions is truly laudable. And, it is a great pleasure for India to support this effort on the strength of its long experience in this area. I will have the pleasure of handing over a small contribution of field medical equipment to Kyrgyz Armed Forces. Our defence ties are strong. We have just completed a joint exercise Khanjar 2015. We have decided to hold joint military exercises on an annual basis. The IT Centre in the Kyrgyz Military Academy is an example of innovative cooperation that is important to both countries. Our new agreement on defence cooperation would provide a framework to broaden our engagement. This will include the defence technology. I congratulated President Atambaev on Kyrgyzstan joining the Eurasian Economic Union. We agreed that a Free Trade Agreement between India and EEU will substantially increase our cooperation .He expressed support for an early completion of the Joint Study Group’s Feasibility Report. We agree that this will make Kyrgyzstan a base for India’s economic engagement in the region. We also looked forward to our engagement in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. I am grateful for Kyrgystan’s strong support to India’s candidature for permanent membership of an expanded United Nations Security Council. I sought his support for early completion of the reforms of the United Nations and its Security Council. Finally, I thank President Atambaev and Kyrgystan for the support in the International Day of Yoga on June 21 a huge global success. I look forward to my meetings with Speaker Jeenbekov and Prime Minister Sariyev later today. I am confident that the visit will take our bilateral cooperation to new heights. I look forward to an early opportunity to receive President Atembaev in India. Thank you very much.