S Jaishankar to Represent India at Critical SCO Summit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the SCO summit in Astana, focusing on regional security, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. Kazakhstan is this year's host, while India, a full member since 2017, hosted last year's virtual summit. The influential bloc boasts members including China, Russia, and Pakistan.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to represent India at the upcoming annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Astana next week.

The summit, scheduled for July 3 and 4, will prioritize discussions on regional security, including the situation in Afghanistan and the Ukraine conflict, along with strategies to enhance connectivity and trade among member nations.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed Jaishankar's leadership of the Indian delegation at the summit during his weekly media briefing.

The SCO, comprising major players such as India, China, Russia, and Pakistan, as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, has become a significant economic and security bloc.

Traditionally, the Indian Prime Minister would participate in the SCO summit. However, this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his support for the summit's success to Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in a recent phone conversation.

Kazakhstan, as the current chair of the grouping, is hosting the summit, while India hosted last year's event virtually. India's engagement with the SCO dates back to 2005 as an observer, achieving full member status in 2017.

India has consistently aimed to enhance its security cooperation within the SCO framework, particularly through its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS).

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