The event will be held virtually on July 4-5, with Iran’s formal accession topping the agenda
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are among the leaders set to participate in the 23rd summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Tuesday, which will be hosted by New Delhi in an online format. The summit will be chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not cite specific reasons for conducting the event online, although sources said the decision had been made following consultation with other member states. Defense and foreign ministers from the SCO met in person in New Delhi and Goa in April and May, respectively.
The SCO was founded in 2001 as an economic and security bloc by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.
The MEA stated that it has hosted over 100 meetings and events, including 14 ministerial-level meetings, during its chairmanship this year. While the organization is generally perceived as focused on security and intra-regional efforts to curb terrorism, separatism and extremism, India is among the members which have called for more development of economic and cultural ties.
“India has set up new pillars of co-operation under its chairmanship – start-ups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment, and shared Buddhist heritage,” the MEA noted. It added that New Delhi has worked towards fostering ties that celebrate the historical and civilizational bonds between SCO nations.
According to Chinese state-run outlet the Global Times, Beijing hopes all eight SCO members will work towards countering geopolitical confrontations which it has blamed on US-led Western powers and their efforts to maintain hegemony.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the SCO National Peoples’ Diplomacy Centre in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov referred to the SCO as “a pillar of the evolving multipolar world.”
“Our organization is an excellent example of truly multilateral diplomacy… There are no drivers or driven among our countries, which take decisions by consensus,” Lavrov emphasized.
One of the key expectations of the SCO summit is Iran’s accession to permanent membership status. Tehran has been an observer since 2005, although previous bids to receive full membership were rejected given that the country was under UN sanctions.
“In the past two years, Tehran has made significant efforts to address legal complexities in order to become part of the SCO, which will enable the country to emerge from international isolation,” Farhad Ibrahimov, an expert at Moscow-based discussion forum the Valdai Club, told RT. “Iran, at the same time, is a key player in the Middle East and will serve as a gateway for the SCO into the region, thus indicating mutual benefits.”
A memorandum of obligation for Belarus is also expected to be signed at the summit, initiating the procedure for its full accession to the SCO. Along with Mongolia, Belarus has been invited as an observer this year, while Turkmenistan has been invited as a guest of the rotating chair, which India holds until September.
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