The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India’s priorities in the SCO are shaped by the Prime Minister’s “Secure” SCO initiative.
 "SCO summit expected to discuss situation in Afghanistan and Ukraine")
India said on Tuesday that the group’s leaders will review their work over the past two decades ahead of the SCO summit in Astana. Image: ShutterstockPress Trust of India New Delhi
Ahead of the SCO summit in Astana, SCO leaders will review the past two decades and discuss prospects for multilateral cooperation, India said on Tuesday.
He will represent India at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) annual summit on July 4, following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to skip the event.
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The summit is expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, the conflict in Ukraine, and strengthening overall security cooperation among SCO member states.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India’s priorities in the SCO are shaped by the Prime Minister’s “Secure” SCO initiative.
SECURE stands for security, economic cooperation, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to Astana for the summit.
“At the summit, the leaders will review the organization’s work over the past two decades and discuss the current status and prospects of multilateral cooperation,” the statement said.
“Current issues of regional and international importance will also be discussed at the meeting,” it said in a statement.
Comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the SCO is an influential economic and security bloc that has emerged as one of the largest cross-regional international organisations.
Kazakhstan will host the summit as the group’s current chair.
India was the SCO chair last year and hosted the SCO summit in a virtual format in July last year.
India’s relationship with the SCO began as an observer state in 2005. India became a full member of the SCO at the Astana summit in 2017.
India has shown keen interest in deepening security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), particularly on issues relating to security and defence.
The SCO was founded in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan at a summit in Shanghai.
Pakistan became a permanent member of the Security Council along with India in 2017.
