India's ties with Central Asia age-old: Sushma Swaraj

India's cultural and historical ties with Central Asia are age-old and they share similar family values, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said as she addressed the Indian diaspora here. Swaraj is in Tajikistan's capital to attend a two-day conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)'s Council of Heads of Government.

She said India's ties with Central Asian nations have reached new heights during the tenure of the current government. She said that Tajikistan is an important country for India.

Swaraj said she and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have visited all five countries in Central Asia -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan --which is an example of India's growing ties with the nations in the region.