India and Central Asia must reconnect: Modi

New Delhi/ Dushanbe: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India and Central Asia must reconnect - through surface, digital and air connectivity.

"Today I complete my tour of Central Asia. I return to India convinced that India and Central Asia must reconnect. It is important for the future that we seek for our countries and our region," the Prime Minister said.

"So, we will improve our surface connectivity, as well as our digital and air connectivity. We will reach you through Iran and other Central Asian countries," he said and hoped India and Tajikistan can connect directly, "as we once were in history".

Modi also assured all cooperation to Tajikistan in the field of agriculture.

"We are the world's largest producer of milk, one of the top producers of fruits and vegetables and one of the three leading producers of fisheries. Along the way, we have created a resource base that will be of great value to our friends in Tajikistan," Modi said, addressing an audience of more than 2,000 people.

Modi proposed that India could work with Tajikistan in water conservation and micro-irrigation, in improving the health of the farm soil, and also using space technology for better resource management.

Pledge to deepen ties to fight terror India and Tajikistan, both located in the proximity of the "main source of terror", pledged on Monday to further deepen their cooperation to fight the menace and agreed to step up defence ties besides boosting trade and investment.

During the wide-ranging talks between Modi, who was here on the last leg of his eight-day six-nation tour, and Tajik President Emomali Rahamon, the two sides pitched for taking the ties to newer heights in diverse areas. "Combating terrorism and extremism has always been an important and productive area of cooperation," Modi said.

Modi said the two sides also decided to further strengthen the defence cooperation, which he described as a "strong pillar of our strategic partnership".