New Delhi – On July 3–4, India will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in New Delhi, which will be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit to the country since the conflict in Ukraine.
The agenda for the Summit, which is anticipated to centre on counter-terror, Afghan stability, inclusive connectivity initiatives like Chabahar Port & INSTC, as well as India’s extensive outreach to Eurasia, will be finalised at the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting next week in Goa on May 4-5, ET has learned. Here, SCO NSAs previously gathered to discuss important aspects of the security alliance.
The bilateral meeting between Putin and PM Narendra Modi will be the summit’s standout event as India and Russia continue to deepen their commercial ties in the midst of New Delhi’s neutral stance on the situation in the Ukraine. In December 2021, Putin made his final trip to India for the yearly summit. The two presidents met in Samarkand in September at the SCO Summit after speaking on the phone several times the previous year.
Additionally, the Pakistani Prime Minister has not said if he will attend the Summit in person or digitally. There are rumours that the Pakistani Foreign Minister may virtually address the Goa meeting as the Pakistani Defence Minister did not travel to India for the SCO Defence Ministers meeting.
Since Iran would be inducted as a new member of the SCO as of this summit, the Iranian President is anticipated to participate. Other SCO members including the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are also anticipated to attend the meeting. Senior leaders and officials from SCO dialogue partners and observers are also anticipated to attend the Summit.
The bilateral meeting between Putin and PM Narendra Modi will be the summit’s standout event as India and Russia continue to deepen their commercial ties in the midst of New Delhi’s neutral stance on the situation in the Ukraine. In December 2021, Putin made his final trip to India for the yearly summit. The two presidents met in Samarkand in September at the SCO Summit after speaking on the phone several times the previous year.
