News Analysis India

Tag: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

  • EAM Jaishankar pitches for better connectivity in SCO region

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday pitched for better connectivity in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) region, but underlined that such projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.

    In an address at a virtual meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), Jaishankar said the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor could become enablers for connectivity in the region.

    “Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded. Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states,” he tweeted. 

    Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded.-Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states. pic.twitter.com/9EjQrekpaX
    — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 1, 2022
    The external affairs minister said, “connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and respect international law”. His remarks are seen as a reference to China’s Belt and Road initiative.

    “Our total trade with SCO Members is only $141 billion, which has the potential to increase manifold. Fair market access is to our mutual benefit and the only way to move forward,” Jaishankar said.

    The CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the bloc and approves its annual budget.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.

    The annual SCO summit took place in the Uzbek city of Samarkand last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the grouping attended it.

    Usually, the heads of government meeting of the SCO is represented by foreign ministers while a number of countries send their prime ministers also.

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday pitched for better connectivity in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) region, but underlined that such projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.

    In an address at a virtual meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), Jaishankar said the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor could become enablers for connectivity in the region.

    “Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded. Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states,” he tweeted. 

    Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded.
    -Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states. pic.twitter.com/9EjQrekpaX
    — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 1, 2022
    The external affairs minister said, “connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and respect international law”. His remarks are seen as a reference to China’s Belt and Road initiative.

    “Our total trade with SCO Members is only $141 billion, which has the potential to increase manifold. Fair market access is to our mutual benefit and the only way to move forward,” Jaishankar said.

    The CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the bloc and approves its annual budget.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.

    The annual SCO summit took place in the Uzbek city of Samarkand last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the grouping attended it.

    Usually, the heads of government meeting of the SCO is represented by foreign ministers while a number of countries send their prime ministers also.

  • Today’s era is not of war, Modi tells Putin in SCO Summit

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: On a day India took charge of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Presidency at Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin at their bilateral meeting on Friday to end the Ukraine conflict, saying, “Today’s era is not of war.”

    In response, Putin said, “I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine, your concerns you constantly express. We will do our best to stop this as soon as possible.’’

    Putin also pointed to the growing export of Russian fertilizers to India.

    “Deliveries of fertilizers from Russia to India have increased by more than eight times,” he added.

    “I also know tomorrow is your birthday, dear friend. But in Russian tradition we do not wish in advance but I want you to know we remember this,” Putin told Modi who rings in his 72nd birthday on Saturday.

    Modi also held bilateral talks with Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey.

    In his bilateral with Iran, Modi and President Ebrahim Raisi assessed the progress in trade and discussed energy ties as also trade through the Chabahar port where India is heavily invested.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral in Uzbekistan on Friday | PTI

    One of Modi’s surprise meetings was with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    The two leaders spoke about bilateral trade enhancement of commercial linkages. There was no interaction with China though its President Xi Jinping said, “We will support India during its Presidency of SCO.”

    “All the meetings that were scheduled did take place,’’ said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

    Modi announced Varanasi as the first-ever SCO tourist and cultural capital for the grouping for 2022-23. During the course of India’s Presidency, many cultural events will be organised in Varanasi by SCO.

    A joint declaration at the end of the summit said the grouping aimed to prepare a single list of terrorist, separatist and extremist outfits whose activities are banned on the territories of the member states, with an aim to counter threats posed by them to the region.

    VARANASI CAPITAL

    With India taking over SCO’s rotating Presidency, all member states endorsed Varanasi as the first-ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23.

    With India taking over SCO’s rotating Presidency, all member states endorsed Varanasi as the first-ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23.

    NEW DELHI: On a day India took charge of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Presidency at Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin at their bilateral meeting on Friday to end the Ukraine conflict, saying, “Today’s era is not of war.”

    In response, Putin said, “I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine, your concerns you constantly express. We will do our best to stop this as soon as possible.’’

    Putin also pointed to the growing export of Russian fertilizers to India.

    “Deliveries of fertilizers from Russia to India have increased by more than eight times,” he added.

    “I also know tomorrow is your birthday, dear friend. But in Russian tradition we do not wish in advance but I want you to know we remember this,” Putin told Modi who rings in his 72nd birthday on Saturday.

    Modi also held bilateral talks with Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey.

    In his bilateral with Iran, Modi and President Ebrahim Raisi assessed the progress in trade and discussed energy ties as also trade through the Chabahar port where India is heavily invested.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral in Uzbekistan on Friday | PTI

    One of Modi’s surprise meetings was with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    The two leaders spoke about bilateral trade enhancement of commercial linkages. There was no interaction with China though its President Xi Jinping said, “We will support India during its Presidency of SCO.”

    “All the meetings that were scheduled did take place,’’ said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

    Modi announced Varanasi as the first-ever SCO tourist and cultural capital for the grouping for 2022-23. During the course of India’s Presidency, many cultural events will be organised in Varanasi by SCO.

    A joint declaration at the end of the summit said the grouping aimed to prepare a single list of terrorist, separatist and extremist outfits whose activities are banned on the territories of the member states, with an aim to counter threats posed by them to the region.

    VARANASI CAPITAL

    With India taking over SCO’s rotating Presidency, all member states endorsed Varanasi as the first-ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23.

    With India taking over SCO’s rotating Presidency, all member states endorsed Varanasi as the first-ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23.

  • SCO should create trusted supply chains; members should give each other transit rights: PM Modi

    By PTI

    SAMARKAND: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to create trusted and resilient supply chains to offset the disruptions caused by the Ukraine crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic and said the members of the grouping should give each other full transit rights to expand connectivity.

    With Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif listening, Modi, addressing the annual summit of the bloc, said India supports “greater cooperation and mutual trust” among the SCO member states even as he pitched for concerted efforts to combat terrorism.

    Modi’s emphasis on full transit rights comes amid Pakistan’s reluctance to provide such a facility to India for trade with other countries such as Afghanistan.

    Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the SCO agreed to work towards developing a unified list of terrorist, separatist and extremist organisations whose activities are prohibited on the territories of the member states.

    It is for the first time Modi and Xi came face-to-face since the start of the border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh around 28 months back.

    In his remarks, Modi said the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have caused many disruptions in global supply chains, leaving the world facing “unprecedented” energy and food crises.

    At a late evening media briefing, Kwatra said Modi shared India’s perspective on regional and international situations including in Afghanistan and emphasised on the centrality of the aspirations of the central asian nations in the SCO.

    The prime minister also called for greater cooperation to fight terrorism in the region including under the framework of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO (RATS SCO).

    He said Modi strongly put across India’s position on Afghanistan which essentially focused on the human-centric nature of assistance and that New Delhi favours an inclusive government in Kabul.

    The prime minister also mentioned the Chabahar port project as well as the International North-South Transport Corridor while highlighting the need for boosting regional connectivity, Kwatra said.

    In his address, Modi said the SCO, with almost 30 per cent of the global GDP and 40 per cent of the world’s population, has an important role to play in global economic recovery.

    Highlighting India’s growth trajectory, the prime minister also said that the Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.5 per cent this year, which will be the highest among the world’s largest economies.

    “India supports greater cooperation and mutual trust among SCO members. The pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine have caused many disruptions in global supply chains, leaving the world facing unprecedented energy and food crises,” he said.

    “The SCO should strive to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in our region. For this, better connectivity will be required, as well as it will also be important that we all give full rights of transit to each other,” he said.

    At the summit, Uzbekistan handed over the rotating presidency of the eight-member SCO to India. In his address, Chinese President Xi conveyed China’s congratulations to India on assuming the SCO presidency.

    “We will, together with other member states, support India during its presidency,” he said.

    Referring to food security crisis across the globe, the prime minister pitched for the promotion of the cultivation and consumption of millets.

    “The world today faces another major challenge, and that is ensuring the food security of our citizens. One possible solution to this problem is to promote the cultivation and consumption of millets,” he said.

    ALSO READ: We want to transform India into a manufacturing hub, says PM Modi at SCO Summit

    “Millets is a superfood that has been grown for thousands of years, not only in SCO countries, but in many parts of the world, and is a traditional, nutritious and low-cost alternative to the food crisis,” Modi said.

    The prime minister said the SCO should consider organising a ‘Millet Food Festival’.

    Talking about economic cooperation, the prime minister said the role of the SCO has become very important when the whole world is facing the challenges of economic recovery after the pandemic.

    “We are making progress on making India a manufacturing hub. India’s young and talented workforce makes us naturally competitive. India’s economy is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent this year, which will be the highest among the world’s major economies,” Modi said.

    The prime minister also talked about India’s focus on proper use of technology in its people-centric development model.

    “We are supporting innovation in every sector. Today there are over 70,000 start-ups in India, of which over 100 are unicorns. This experience of ours can be of use to many other SCO members as well,” the prime minister said.

    “For this purpose, we are ready to share our experience with the member countries of SCO by establishing a new Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation,” he added.

    The prime minister said India today is one of the most affordable destinations for medical and wellness tourism in the world.

    “The WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine was inaugurated in Gujarat in April 2022. This will be the WHO’s first and only Global Center for Traditional Medicine,” Modi said.

    “We should increase cooperation on traditional medicine among SCO countries. For this, India will take initiative on a new SCO Working Group on Traditional Medicine,” he said.

    Following the summit, the leaders signed the Samarkand Declaration and adopted a package of documents.

    The SCO Heads of State Council adopted statements for cooperation in areas of climate change, reliable, sustainable and diversified supply chains, and on ensuring global food security and international energy security.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

    SAMARKAND: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to create trusted and resilient supply chains to offset the disruptions caused by the Ukraine crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic and said the members of the grouping should give each other full transit rights to expand connectivity.

    With Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif listening, Modi, addressing the annual summit of the bloc, said India supports “greater cooperation and mutual trust” among the SCO member states even as he pitched for concerted efforts to combat terrorism.

    Modi’s emphasis on full transit rights comes amid Pakistan’s reluctance to provide such a facility to India for trade with other countries such as Afghanistan.

    Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the SCO agreed to work towards developing a unified list of terrorist, separatist and extremist organisations whose activities are prohibited on the territories of the member states.

    It is for the first time Modi and Xi came face-to-face since the start of the border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh around 28 months back.

    In his remarks, Modi said the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have caused many disruptions in global supply chains, leaving the world facing “unprecedented” energy and food crises.

    At a late evening media briefing, Kwatra said Modi shared India’s perspective on regional and international situations including in Afghanistan and emphasised on the centrality of the aspirations of the central asian nations in the SCO.

    The prime minister also called for greater cooperation to fight terrorism in the region including under the framework of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO (RATS SCO).

    He said Modi strongly put across India’s position on Afghanistan which essentially focused on the human-centric nature of assistance and that New Delhi favours an inclusive government in Kabul.

    The prime minister also mentioned the Chabahar port project as well as the International North-South Transport Corridor while highlighting the need for boosting regional connectivity, Kwatra said.

    In his address, Modi said the SCO, with almost 30 per cent of the global GDP and 40 per cent of the world’s population, has an important role to play in global economic recovery.

    Highlighting India’s growth trajectory, the prime minister also said that the Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.5 per cent this year, which will be the highest among the world’s largest economies.

    “India supports greater cooperation and mutual trust among SCO members. The pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine have caused many disruptions in global supply chains, leaving the world facing unprecedented energy and food crises,” he said.

    “The SCO should strive to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in our region. For this, better connectivity will be required, as well as it will also be important that we all give full rights of transit to each other,” he said.

    At the summit, Uzbekistan handed over the rotating presidency of the eight-member SCO to India. In his address, Chinese President Xi conveyed China’s congratulations to India on assuming the SCO presidency.

    “We will, together with other member states, support India during its presidency,” he said.

    Referring to food security crisis across the globe, the prime minister pitched for the promotion of the cultivation and consumption of millets.

    “The world today faces another major challenge, and that is ensuring the food security of our citizens. One possible solution to this problem is to promote the cultivation and consumption of millets,” he said.

    ALSO READ: We want to transform India into a manufacturing hub, says PM Modi at SCO Summit

    “Millets is a superfood that has been grown for thousands of years, not only in SCO countries, but in many parts of the world, and is a traditional, nutritious and low-cost alternative to the food crisis,” Modi said.

    The prime minister said the SCO should consider organising a ‘Millet Food Festival’.

    Talking about economic cooperation, the prime minister said the role of the SCO has become very important when the whole world is facing the challenges of economic recovery after the pandemic.

    “We are making progress on making India a manufacturing hub. India’s young and talented workforce makes us naturally competitive. India’s economy is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent this year, which will be the highest among the world’s major economies,” Modi said.

    The prime minister also talked about India’s focus on proper use of technology in its people-centric development model.

    “We are supporting innovation in every sector. Today there are over 70,000 start-ups in India, of which over 100 are unicorns. This experience of ours can be of use to many other SCO members as well,” the prime minister said.

    “For this purpose, we are ready to share our experience with the member countries of SCO by establishing a new Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation,” he added.

    The prime minister said India today is one of the most affordable destinations for medical and wellness tourism in the world.

    “The WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine was inaugurated in Gujarat in April 2022. This will be the WHO’s first and only Global Center for Traditional Medicine,” Modi said.

    “We should increase cooperation on traditional medicine among SCO countries. For this, India will take initiative on a new SCO Working Group on Traditional Medicine,” he said.

    Following the summit, the leaders signed the Samarkand Declaration and adopted a package of documents.

    The SCO Heads of State Council adopted statements for cooperation in areas of climate change, reliable, sustainable and diversified supply chains, and on ensuring global food security and international energy security.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

  • Varanasi declared as first ever SCO tourist and cultural capital

    By PTI

    SAMARKAND: The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday endorsed the holy city of Varanasi as the first ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23.

    Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said this at a media briefing. The Indian delegation at the SCO summit in this historic Uzbek city of Samarkand was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Uzbekistan handed over the rotating presidency of the grouping to India for the year 2022-23.

    “Prime Minister Modi thanked all the member states for endorsing Varanasi as the first ever SCO tourist and cultural capital during the upcoming year 2022-23,” Kwatra said.

    “This is a befitting recognition of the historic city and opens the door for greater cultural and people-to-people ties between India and the region,” he said.

    The foreign secretary said several events would be organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in collaboration with the Centre to celebrate this recognition of Varanasi.

    Kwatra said the SCO also decided to set up a special working group on start-ups and innovation at India’s initiative. India would be its permanent chair, he said. The summit also decided to give permanent membership of SCO to Belarus and Iran.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became their permanent members in 2017.

    SAMARKAND: The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday endorsed the holy city of Varanasi as the first ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23.

    Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said this at a media briefing. The Indian delegation at the SCO summit in this historic Uzbek city of Samarkand was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Uzbekistan handed over the rotating presidency of the grouping to India for the year 2022-23.

    “Prime Minister Modi thanked all the member states for endorsing Varanasi as the first ever SCO tourist and cultural capital during the upcoming year 2022-23,” Kwatra said.

    “This is a befitting recognition of the historic city and opens the door for greater cultural and people-to-people ties between India and the region,” he said.

    The foreign secretary said several events would be organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in collaboration with the Centre to celebrate this recognition of Varanasi.

    Kwatra said the SCO also decided to set up a special working group on start-ups and innovation at India’s initiative. India would be its permanent chair, he said. The summit also decided to give permanent membership of SCO to Belarus and Iran.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became their permanent members in 2017.

  • Modi, Xi, Putin among top leaders to attend first in-person SCO summit after covid

    By PTI

    BEIJING: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will hold its first in-person summit in Samarkand in Uzbekistan on Thursday after two years, shaking off the Covid fears and providing a rare opportunity for all its eight heads of state to meet on the sidelines of the event to have face-to-face talks on pressing global and regional issues of common concern.

    The last in-person SCO summit was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2019.

    After that, the 2020 Moscow summit was held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the 2021 summit at Dushanbe was conducted in a hybrid mode.

    Launched in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO has eight full members, including its six founding members, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017.

    SCO observer states include Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia, while Dialogue partners include Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    This is the first time after the 2020 covidpandemic that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be attending the two-day summit.

    The sudden announcement of Xi’s participation in the SCO summit, shedding his covid concerns has created a buzz. On Wednesday, Xi for the first time in over two years flew out of China.

    He travelled to Kazakhstan on his first state visit since January 2020 from there he would travel to neighbouring Uzbekistan to take part in the Samarkand summit.

    China kept his programme under wraps and declined to confirm reports of Xi’s meetings with Putin and Modi on the sidelines.

    The sudden move by China last week acceding to India’s demand to pullback its troops from the contentious Petrol Point 15 at Gogra and Hot Springs, which some say is a step forward to end the military standoff in eastern Ladakh which began in May 2020 after which the relations between the two countries nosedived.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

    The pullback of troops from PP 15 has sparked speculation about the likelihood of a Modi-Xi meeting at Samarkand.

    The Samarkand SCO summit will also mark the second recent expansion of the organisation as Iran will be formally admitted into the influential Central Asian grouping after India and Pakistan’s admission as full members in 2017.

    Besides the eight member states, four observer countries and six dialogue partners, around 10 other nations have expressed their interest to join the political, economic and security organisation or upgrade their status within the group, according to official media reports here.

    After the formalities, Iran will attend the next summit to be held in India.

    According to SCO officials Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has applied for full membership and is expected to join the grouping soon.

    Besides the eight SCO leaders, heads of the state of Iran, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the two countries which are locked in military conflict, are due to be present at the Samarkand summit making it a huge conclave, officials said.

    Ahead of his visit to Uzbekistan to take part in the SCO summit, Xi praised the grouping, saying that it had set a fine example in international relations.

    “During my visit to Uzbekistan this time, I will attend the SCO Samarkand Summit. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” Xi wrote in an article published in Uzbek media.

    “Guided by the purposes and principles enshrined in these two documents, the SCO has acted on the Shanghai Spirit, stayed true to its founding mission, and promoted the joint efforts among its member states for stability and development,” Xi said.

    “The SCO has set a fine example of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and proved itself an important and constructive force in the Eurasian region and in international affairs,” he said.

    “China applauds Uzbekistan for its efforts. I am confident that with the joint efforts of all sides, the Samarkand Summit will produce fruitful outcomes and make a greater contribution to building an even closer SCO community with a shared future and to the peace, stability, development and prosperity of our region,” he said.

    BEIJING: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will hold its first in-person summit in Samarkand in Uzbekistan on Thursday after two years, shaking off the Covid fears and providing a rare opportunity for all its eight heads of state to meet on the sidelines of the event to have face-to-face talks on pressing global and regional issues of common concern.

    The last in-person SCO summit was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2019.

    After that, the 2020 Moscow summit was held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the 2021 summit at Dushanbe was conducted in a hybrid mode.

    Launched in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO has eight full members, including its six founding members, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017.

    SCO observer states include Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia, while Dialogue partners include Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    This is the first time after the 2020 covidpandemic that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be attending the two-day summit.

    The sudden announcement of Xi’s participation in the SCO summit, shedding his covid concerns has created a buzz. On Wednesday, Xi for the first time in over two years flew out of China.

    He travelled to Kazakhstan on his first state visit since January 2020 from there he would travel to neighbouring Uzbekistan to take part in the Samarkand summit.

    China kept his programme under wraps and declined to confirm reports of Xi’s meetings with Putin and Modi on the sidelines.

    The sudden move by China last week acceding to India’s demand to pullback its troops from the contentious Petrol Point 15 at Gogra and Hot Springs, which some say is a step forward to end the military standoff in eastern Ladakh which began in May 2020 after which the relations between the two countries nosedived.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

    The pullback of troops from PP 15 has sparked speculation about the likelihood of a Modi-Xi meeting at Samarkand.

    The Samarkand SCO summit will also mark the second recent expansion of the organisation as Iran will be formally admitted into the influential Central Asian grouping after India and Pakistan’s admission as full members in 2017.

    Besides the eight member states, four observer countries and six dialogue partners, around 10 other nations have expressed their interest to join the political, economic and security organisation or upgrade their status within the group, according to official media reports here.

    After the formalities, Iran will attend the next summit to be held in India.

    According to SCO officials Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has applied for full membership and is expected to join the grouping soon.

    Besides the eight SCO leaders, heads of the state of Iran, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the two countries which are locked in military conflict, are due to be present at the Samarkand summit making it a huge conclave, officials said.

    Ahead of his visit to Uzbekistan to take part in the SCO summit, Xi praised the grouping, saying that it had set a fine example in international relations.

    “During my visit to Uzbekistan this time, I will attend the SCO Samarkand Summit. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” Xi wrote in an article published in Uzbek media.

    “Guided by the purposes and principles enshrined in these two documents, the SCO has acted on the Shanghai Spirit, stayed true to its founding mission, and promoted the joint efforts among its member states for stability and development,” Xi said.

    “The SCO has set a fine example of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and proved itself an important and constructive force in the Eurasian region and in international affairs,” he said.

    “China applauds Uzbekistan for its efforts. I am confident that with the joint efforts of all sides, the Samarkand Summit will produce fruitful outcomes and make a greater contribution to building an even closer SCO community with a shared future and to the peace, stability, development and prosperity of our region,” he said.

  • Amid chilly bilateral ties, Pakistan to attend SCO counter-terror drills in India

    By PTI

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will attend the counter-terrorism drills hosted by India under the ambit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in October, despite a chill in bilateral ties, a media report said on Saturday.

    While Pakistani and Indian military contingents have taken part in counter-terrorism exercises together, this will be the first time that Pakistan will be attending such drills in India, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

    Pakistan will attend the international counter-terrorism exercise scheduled in October this year under SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), the newspaper quoted Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesman Asim Iftikhar as saying on Friday at the weekly briefing.

    “Yes, there will be exercises under the ambit of SCO RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure),” the spokesperson said, adding that India was chairing the SCO RATS this year.

    “These exercises are scheduled to be held in India in Mahesar in October, and as Pakistan is a member, we will participate,” he said.

    “At what level, I think when we approach that, we will let you know,” the FO spokesperson added.

    The exercise scheduled to be held in Manesar in Haryana will see participation from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, besides India.

    India and Pakistan, under the banner of the SCO are part of the nine-member Beijing-based regional body.

    The move is termed to be significant given the tensions between India and Pakistan after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

    India’s decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

    India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country.

    India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence.

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will attend the counter-terrorism drills hosted by India under the ambit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in October, despite a chill in bilateral ties, a media report said on Saturday.

    While Pakistani and Indian military contingents have taken part in counter-terrorism exercises together, this will be the first time that Pakistan will be attending such drills in India, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

    Pakistan will attend the international counter-terrorism exercise scheduled in October this year under SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), the newspaper quoted Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesman Asim Iftikhar as saying on Friday at the weekly briefing.

    “Yes, there will be exercises under the ambit of SCO RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure),” the spokesperson said, adding that India was chairing the SCO RATS this year.

    “These exercises are scheduled to be held in India in Mahesar in October, and as Pakistan is a member, we will participate,” he said.

    “At what level, I think when we approach that, we will let you know,” the FO spokesperson added.

    The exercise scheduled to be held in Manesar in Haryana will see participation from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, besides India.

    India and Pakistan, under the banner of the SCO are part of the nine-member Beijing-based regional body.

    The move is termed to be significant given the tensions between India and Pakistan after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

    India’s decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

    India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country.

    India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence.

  • Each SCO country should decide on its own whether to use dollar: Lavrov

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: During the course of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers meeting in Tashkent on Friday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that each SCO member decide whether they want to use the dollar for transactions.

    Each member-state of the SCO should decide on its own whether to use the dollar or not, but facts are enough that this currency is unreliable, Lavrov is reported to have said while speaking with the media on the sidelines of the SCO. He suggested further that there should be a roadmap of transitions to broader use of national currencies in mutual settlements.

    Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, said that Iran’s entry into the SCO will strengthen the forum’s influence in the world market. “The SCO members will have the opportunity to use the facilities of the Chabahar port in Iran,” he added.

    Jaishankar also spoke about the crisis that Afghanistan is facing and said that the SCO must combat the hunger crisis there. He also highlighted the fact that India extended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to help it fight hunger.

    “Began my SCO visit with a bilateral meeting with DPM and FM Mukhtar Tileuberdi of Kazakhstan. We recognised the progress made out since the last meeting in Delhi in December last year. The current situation calls for stronger Indo-Kazakh cooperation across all domains,” he said.

    China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto were among other members who attended the meeting.

    Meanwhile, the SCO is expanding its network and is set to sign pacts to include Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Maldives band Saudi Arabia as dialogue partners. The process has also started for granting Belarus as a full member. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are set to get observer status.

    The Foreign Ministers meeting is the final stage in preparation for the SCO Summit set for September 15-16 in Samarkand in southern Uzbekistan. This is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Modi, who will meet his counterparts from China, Pakistan, Iran and Russia.

    NEW DELHI: During the course of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers meeting in Tashkent on Friday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that each SCO member decide whether they want to use the dollar for transactions.

    Each member-state of the SCO should decide on its own whether to use the dollar or not, but facts are enough that this currency is unreliable, Lavrov is reported to have said while speaking with the media on the sidelines of the SCO. He suggested further that there should be a roadmap of transitions to broader use of national currencies in mutual settlements.

    Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, said that Iran’s entry into the SCO will strengthen the forum’s influence in the world market. “The SCO members will have the opportunity to use the facilities of the Chabahar port in Iran,” he added.

    Jaishankar also spoke about the crisis that Afghanistan is facing and said that the SCO must combat the hunger crisis there. He also highlighted the fact that India extended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to help it fight hunger.

    “Began my SCO visit with a bilateral meeting with DPM and FM Mukhtar Tileuberdi of Kazakhstan. We recognised the progress made out since the last meeting in Delhi in December last year. The current situation calls for stronger Indo-Kazakh cooperation across all domains,” he said.

    China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto were among other members who attended the meeting.

    Meanwhile, the SCO is expanding its network and is set to sign pacts to include Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Maldives band Saudi Arabia as dialogue partners. The process has also started for granting Belarus as a full member. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are set to get observer status.

    The Foreign Ministers meeting is the final stage in preparation for the SCO Summit set for September 15-16 in Samarkand in southern Uzbekistan. This is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Modi, who will meet his counterparts from China, Pakistan, Iran and Russia.

  • Rajnath Singh hails Indira Gandhi for leading India ‘during times of war’

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Former prime minister Indira Gandhi not only led the country for a number of years, but she also did so during the times of war, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday, in an apparent reference to her role in the 1971 war with Pakistan.

    In an address at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) seminar on the role of women in the armed forces, the defence minister also talked about Rani Laxmi Bai and former president Pratibha Patil, and said India has a positive experience in harnessing women’s power in national development.

    Singh said though it is justifiable to discuss the role of women in the armed forces, their wider contribution in all spheres of security and nation-building must also be recognised and reinforced.

    “There are a number of examples of women taking up arms to protect their country and the rights of the  people through history. Rani Laxmi Bai is amongst the most revered and respected amongst them,” he said.

    “India’s former prime minister Indira Gandhi not only led the country for a number of years, she also did so during the times of war. And more recently, Pratibha Patil was the president of India and the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces,” the defence minister added.

    Under Indira Gandhi’s prime ministership, India won the 1971 war against Pakistan that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh.

    Singh said the tradition of women as both caregivers and protectors has continued over the centuries and remains deeply embedded in the customs and traditions of the region.

    “If Saraswati is our goddess of knowledge, wisdom and learning, mother Durga remains associated with protection, strength, destruction and war,” he said.

    Singh said India is amongst a very few countries that took an early initiative in terms of women’s participation in the armed forces and that women are now being accepted for permanent commissioning and shall be commanding Army units and battalions in the near future.

    “Women have been serving with pride in the Indian Military Nursing Service for over 100 years now. The Indian Army had commenced commissioning women officers in 1992. It has now moved to inducting women officers in most of the branches of the Army,” he said.

    “Women are now being accepted for permanent commission and shall be commanding Army units and battalions in the near future,” he added.

    Singh said women will be able to join the premier tri-service pre-commissioning training institute, the National Defence Academy, from next year.

    Describing the induction of women in the military police in the Army as a major milestone, he said India’s approach to their induction in the police, central police, paramilitary and armed forces has been progressive.

    “We have taken the evolutionary path of moving from support to combat support and thereafter, to combat arms within the armed forces,” he said.

    “We have found that the process of induction, given its broad-based and progressive path, has also simultaneously prepared the society and the armed forces for this change.

    This is an important aspect to ensure a smooth and successful transition,” the defence minister added.

    Referring to women’s role in the Navy, he said from humble beginnings in the Air Traffic Control in 1993, the women officers graduated to being pilots of maritime reconnaissance aircraft in 2016 and are now being appointed onboard warships since last year.

    “The Indian Coast Guard has been employing women officers in combat roles, which include pilots, observers and aviation support services. In the Indian Air Force, women are inducted in all roles, including combat and support roles,” Singh said.

  • CDS Bipin Rawat attends SCO military exercise in Russia

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has witnessed a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia’s Orenburg region that has been organised under the aegis of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

    India has sent a team of 200 personnel for the nearly two-week-long “Exercise Peaceful Mission” that began on September 13.

    Gen.Rawat is on a two-day visit to Russia and he attended the conference of the Chiefs of General Staff of the SCO member states in Orenburg.

    “General Bipin Rawat #CDS witnessed the final validation exercise of Multi Nation Exercise #PeacefulMission2021 of #SCO Nations at Orenburg,” the Army said in a tweet.

    The exercise provided an opportunity to the armed forces of the SCO nations to train in counter-terrorism operations in an urban scenario in a multinational and joint environment, officials said.

    The scope of the exercise included professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills and procedures, establishment of joint command-and-control structures and elimination of terrorist threats, they added.

    The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

    India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

    India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

  • Radicalisation is today’s biggest challenge, says PM Narendra Modi at SCO meet

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Growing radicalisation is the biggest challenge to world peace and the recent developments in Afghanistan have made this challenge more apparent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. Participating virtually in the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State, Modi said the SCO should develop a common template to fight radicalisation and extremism. 

    Noting that central Asia has been a bastion of moderate and progressive cultures and values, the prime minister said traditions such as Sufism have flourished in Asia over the centuries and spread throughout the region and the world. 

    “In India, and almost in all SCO countries, there are moderate, tolerant and inclusive institutions and traditions associated with Islam. SCO should work to develop a strong network between them,” he said.In a joint declaration issued at the end of the annual summit of the bloc in Tajikistan capital Dushanbe, the leaders of the eight-member SCO states – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan  – strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. 

    While the prime minister participated in the SCO summit virtually, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the Dushanbe meeting in person.