India, June 4 -- India will host the fourth edition of a dialogue with the five Central Asian states on June 6 to review relations with the strategic region and to explore ways to tackle shared challenges such as terrorism, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The India-Central Asia Dialogue on Friday will be preceded by the India-Central Asia Business Council on June 5, which will focus on trade and investment issues. The last edition of the dialogue with the Central Asian states was held in New Delhi in December 2021.

India has stepped up its engagement with the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in recent years, especially to counter China's influence in the region. I...