In this file photo dated Sept 16, 2022, President Xi Jinping (fourth, left) and other leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries pose for a group photo before attending the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
The upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit to be held virtually on July 4 is expected to further strengthen cooperation and ensure regional stability in the region, analysts say.
Apart from Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be attending the SCO summit along with other Heads of State of the SCO. Indian PM Narendra Modi will host the 23rd summit for the first time since India became full member of the grouping in 2017.
All the SCO Member States — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, have been invited to attend the summit. In addition, Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair
All the SCO Member States — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, have been invited to attend the summit. In addition, Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. The summit may address new membership issue, which is of interest to a number of countries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, in a statement on Friday, said “in a world marked by change and disorder and fraught with increasing instability, uncertainties and unpredictable factors, regional countries as well as other members of the international community look to the SCO to play a bigger role in safeguarding regional security and promoting common development.”
China’s stake is high in the SCO and Xi’s presence in the summit is sending a signal for stability in the SCO region, said Professor Srikanth Kondapalli, dean of School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Issues like counter terrorism, energy security, regional stability, ensuring stability in the Eurasian region and multipolarity are likely to be discussed during the summit, according to him.
Xi is scheduled to deliver a key speech at the SCO summit on July 4. From India’s perspective, this will also be an occasion for Xi and Modi to share the same platform on international stage, said prof Swaran Singh, a professor of diplomacy and disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
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On May 30, India announced that it would chair the SCO summit virtually, not in person, as scheduled earlier.
Modi, meanwhile, on Friday reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict as he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over phone, according to a press statement issued by the federal ministry of external affairs on Friday.
President Putin informed Modi about the recent developments in Russia. Both leaders agreed to remain in touch and continue to make efforts to further strengthen special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries, the statement said.
"Particular attention is paid to interaction through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20, in which India currently holds the chairmanship, as well as in the BRICS format. In addition, Narendra Modi informed about his international contacts, including during his recent visit to Washington," Kremlin said in a statement.
On Friday Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed they will attend the virtual summit, along with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Sharif’s participation in the summit illustrates the high importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO, which is an important forum for regional security and prosperity, and enhanced engagement with the region, the Pakistan foreign ministry said in a statement.
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India on Tuesday inaugurated an exquisitely designed New Delhi Hall at the SCO Secretariat in Beijing. The New Delhi Hall is conceived to be a mini-India, showcasing various facets of Indian culture, Indian external affairs minister, S Jaishankar said in his address while inaugurating the hall virtually.
So far India hosted a total of 134 meetings and events, including 14 ministerial-level meetings under its presidency of the grouping. Besides, there was a focus on common Buddhist heritage, with New Delhi hosting key meetings.
The SCO, which aims to promote economic, political, and military cooperation among its members, covers more than 30 per cent of the global GDP, 60 per cent of the Eurasian landmass, and 40 per cent of the world population.
The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.