India and Kyrgyzstan have inked four pacts in areas such as defence and culture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived at Bishkek on July 11′ 2015 as part of his eight-day six-nation tour to Central Asia, emphasized the need to combat terrorism and extremism which he described as a threat without borders.
The two countries signed four key agreements including on cooperation in defence and culture fields. Two MoU were also signed for cooperation between the Election Commissions of the two countries and on cooperation in the sphere of Standards, a move that will help economic relations. PM Modi also unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Kyrgyzstan.
- The defence agreement signed is aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in defence, security, military education and training.
- It also envisages conduct of joint military exercises, exchange of experience and information, and exchange of military observers and instructors besides others.
Modi underlined that he looks forward to the launch of the tele-medicine link with India.
Facts About Kyrgyzstan
- Manas, a warrior who united Kyrgyzstan, is undoubtedly the most popular folk hero in the country.
- The name Kyrgyz is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for forty, which has a reference to the forty clans of Manas.
- Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
- The currency of Kyrgyzstan is the Som, which replaced the Soviet ruble on May 10, 1993.
- Kyrgyzstan is a country with two official languages: Russian and Kyrgyz
