On May 30, India suddenly announced a change in the format of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, scheduled to take place on July 4.
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| Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the online SCO Summit, scheduled for July 4. |
The 22nd Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO will be held in a “virtual format” and chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
However, the agency did not give any reasons to explain the above decision.
According to a press release from the ministry, all SCO member states – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – have been invited to attend the summit. Meanwhile, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as observers.
According to SCO tradition, Turkmenistan will participate in the event as a guest of the Chairman. The heads of two SCO bodies, the Secretariat and the Regional Counter-Terrorism Service (RATS), will also be present.
In addition, the heads of six international and regional organizations were also invited - including the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Summit on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
The theme of this Summit is “Towards a SECURE SCO”. The word “SECURE” – coined by Prime Minister Modi at the 2018 SCO Summit – stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Solidarity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; Environment.
India has emphasized the above themes during its SCO Chairmanship.
New Delhi has established new pillars of cooperation during its SCO Chairmanship such as: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Traditional Medicine; Digital Inclusion; Youth Empowerment; and Sharing Buddhist Heritage.
In addition, India also strives towards promoting people-to-people exchanges to celebrate the historical and civilizational ties between the countries.
The press release stressed that India's tenure as SCO Chairman from September 16, 2022 to date has been a period of vibrant activities and mutually beneficial cooperation among member states. India has hosted a total of 134 meetings and events, including 14 ministerial-level conferences.
The South Asian nation remains committed to playing a positive and constructive role in the organisation and looks forward to a successful SCO Summit as the culmination of India's Chairmanship.
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