Six PMs to attend SCO heads of government summit hosted by India

The prime ministers of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will attend the summit of the heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Monday whereas Pakistan can be represented by its parliamentary secretary for overseas affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has mentioned.

India is internet hosting the summit for the primary time after it gained full membership of the influential grouping in 2017. The summit will happen within the digital format.

The MEA mentioned Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will chair the nineteenth assembly of the SCO Council of Heads of Government which is held yearly with a concentrate on commerce and financial agenda of the organisation.

“The prime ministers from the SCO member states of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will attend the SCO meeting on November 30. Pakistan will be represented by the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs,” the MEA mentioned in an announcement.

Apart from the SCO member States, the 4 observer States of the SCO — Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia — may also take part within the summit.

The MEA mentioned the president of Afghanistan, the primary vp of Iran, the prime minister of Belarus and the deputy prime minister of Mongolia will signify their international locations.

Turkmenistan has been invited as a particular visitor of the host and can be represented by its deputy chairman of the cupboard of ministers.

The SCO secretary normal and the manager director of the SCO Regional Anti Terrorist Structure (RATS) are additionally scheduled to take part within the digital summit.

India assumed the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government on November 2 final 12 months as per rotation from the earlier chair – Uzbekistan – and can full its year-long tenure on November 30 by internet hosting the summit.

“It will be the first time that a summit-level meeting will be held under India’s chairmanship, since it gained full membership of the organisation in 2017,” the MEA mentioned.

The SCO summit of the Council of Heads of State is taken into account the principle annual occasion. It was hosted by Russia on November 10 within the digital format and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had participated in it.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the most important transregional worldwide organisations.

The MEA additionally mentioned that India hopes to additional strengthen cooperation in commerce, financial and cultural spheres inside the bloc.

“By chairing the 19th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government on 30 November, India hopes to further strengthen greater trade, economic and cultural cooperation within SCO by putting human beings at the centre of SCO activities and to foster greater peace and prosperity in the region,” it mentioned.

“We hope that India’s initiatives will not only be helpful for the SCO Member States in overcoming the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic but will also signal our continued commitment to strengthening the organisation,” the MEA mentioned.

The summit will finish with the adoption of a joint communique, the Ministry of External Affairs mentioned

“During the course of our chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020, India has particularly focused on creating three new pillars of cooperation: startups and innovation, science and technology and traditional medicine,” the MEA mentioned.

India has additionally supplied to create and chair a brand new particular working group on startups and innovation and to arrange a brand new professional working group on cooperation in conventional medication.