Sushma Swaraj concludes Kyrgyzstan visit, leaves for Uzbekistan

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday concluded her “result-oriented” visit to Kyrgyzstan during which she held talks with the country’s top leadership to deepen and reinvigorate the bilateral ties across all sectors.

Swaraj called on Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbai Jeenbekov on Friday and met her counterpart Erlan Abdyldaev on Saturday and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in a number of areas, including trade, energy and defence and security.

She left for Uzbekistan on the final leg of her three-nation tour.

“Concluding a focused and result-oriented visit, EAM takes off for Tashkent for the final leg of her 3-nation visit,” Raveesh Kumar, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, tweeted.

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“Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Abdyldaev, a perfect host, came to the airport to see off EAM Sushma Swaraj and accepted EAM’s invitation to visit India,” Kumar said.

After their bilateral meeting, Abdyldaev invited Swaraj for a stroll along the picturesque Lake Issyk Kul - the 2^nd largest mountain lake in the world.

“Issyk Kul means warm lake! The warmth that helped consolidate the traditional friendly ties between India and Kyrgyzstan during EAM Sushma Swaraj visit,” Kumar tweeted.

Swaraj arrived yesterday at Issyk Kul in eastern Kyrgyzstan on a two-day visit after wrapping up her tour to Kazakhstan. She was received by Abdyldaev.

“Taking steps to tap the huge potential that exists between our two countries! EAM Sushma Swaraj and Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Abdyldaev discussed opportunities for cooperation in fields of trade and investment, defence and security, IT, health, HRD, tourism and joint film production,” Kumar tweeted.

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Swaraj has interacted with Abdyldaev on a number of occasions, including on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The minister is on a three-nation tour to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as part of India’s efforts to boost strategic partnership with the resource-rich Central Asian nations.

India and Kyrgyzstan share multi-dimensional relations including political, parliamentary, defence, science and technology and health.

The visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyrgyzstan in July 2015 followed by Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev’s trip to India and interactions on the margins of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summits, have consolidated the traditionally cordial and close ties between the two countries.

It has provided impetus to further strengthening of bilateral ties, according to an official statement.