Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left for a two-day visit to Uzbekistan on January 12, 2018, to attend the first India-Central Asia Dialogue. The Dialogue, being held in Samarkand, was co-chaired by Swaraj and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov. The Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan and the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan also participated in the dialogue. The purpose is to enhance their cooperation in wide-ranging spheres including exploring ways to substantially enhance India’s economic involvement in business and development sector of Central Asia.