Astana: External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Astana on 4th July in Astana.
The 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be under the presidency of Kazakhstan. Ministry of External Affairs said that at the Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organization’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.
The Ministry further said, India’s priorities in SCO are shaped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘SECURE’ SCO. SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection. India, under its first-ever presidency of SCO, hosted the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on 4th July last year in a virtual format.
“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,” the ministry said in a statement. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed, it said.
PM Modi has decided to skip the SCO this year as he is set to visit Russia from July 8 to 9 on his first trip to the country in nearly five years. After the conclusion of his trip, the Prime Minister is likely to travel to Austria on July 9 on a two-day trip.
