PM Modi to virtually address SCO summit on Sept 17

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, September 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will “virtually” lead the Indian delegation for the 21st meeting of SCO Council of Heads of State to be held on September 17 in Dushanbe in a hybrid format.

At Dushanbe, India will be represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, said a MEA release.

Besides heavyweights Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the SCO summit will feature leaders from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Leaders from Iran and Afghanistan have also been traditionally invited to SCO conclaves as Observers.

The meeting will be chaired by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.

The SCO Summit will be attended by the leaders of the SCO Member States, Observer States, Secretary General of the SCO, Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), President of Turkmenistan and other invited guests.

This is the first SCO Summit being held in a hybrid format and the fourth Summit that India will participate as a full-fledged member of SCO.

This Summit assumes significance as the organisation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. At the Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of future cooperation. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed, said the MEA release.