India to host virtual SCO summit on Tuesday with Chinese President and Pakistan PM in attendance

India is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in a virtual format on Tuesday. The summit will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will include the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The virtual summit will start at 12:30 pm and conclude around 3 pm. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to join the SCO leaders during the meeting.

Other SCO member states that were invited by India are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

According to the SCO traditions, Turkmenistan has been invited as the guest of the Chair.

Iran, Belarus and Mongolia are invited to the meeting as Observer States. In addition to these attendees, the heads of the SCO Secretariat and SCO RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) will also be present during the council meeting.

The summit has extended invitations to the heads of six international and regional organisations, namely the United Nations (UN), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The theme of the summit is 'Towards a SECURE SCO,' which was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit. The term "SECURE" represents the following aspects: Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity, and Environment.

After 12 years of joining the SCO in 2005, India became a full member of the group at the Astana Summit in 2017.

Over the past six years, India has played an active and positive role in all operations of the SCO.

In September 2022, during the SCO Summit in Samarkand, India assumed the chairmanship of the SCO for the first time, taking over from Uzbekistan.

During its presidency, India introduced five new areas of cooperation and focus within the SCO: Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Digital Inclusion, Youth Empowerment, and Shared Buddhist Heritage.

Additionally, on May 4-5 of this year, India hosted the Foreign Ministers of the SCO in Goa, featuring a vibrant cultural program and substantive discussions the following day.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver significant remarks at the SCO Summit. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning, Beijing is committed to working with other member states to strengthen the SCO community with a shared future.

"As a founding member, China views the SCO as a priority in its foreign affairs. We stand ready to work with other members to act on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative, build an even closer SCO community with a shared future and usher in a brighter future for the Eurasian continent," Ning said.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also set to participate in the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State.

The official release of Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said, “The Prime Minister's participation in the CHS illustrates the high importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO, as an important forum for regional security and prosperity, and enhanced engagement with the region."

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