With External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar leading the team, India has formally declared its attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) annual conference this week in Astana, Kazakhstan. On July 4, the SCO Summit will have its 24th meeting.
Following the announcement on Tuesday by the external affairs ministry that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be attending the summit, Jaishankar will represent India.
“At the Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting,” External Affairs Ministry’s statement read.
It went on to say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of a “secure” SCO is what India is focusing on during this year’s meeting.
“SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection,” said the press release.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to skip the SCO Summit due to his preoccupation with the ongoing Parliament session and strained ties with China. The Indian side is considering video addressing the gathering.
Modi’s decision was influenced by his preoccupation with the ongoing session of Parliament, which is set to end on July 3.
The SCO Summit, which includes Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. While Jaishankar is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Central Asian state leaders, there was no official word of any possible encounter with the Chinese and Pakistani sides.
The SCO Summit, which includes Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is expected to focus on economic, digital, and energy connectivity initiatives, trade, and regional issues.
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