Team from Pak to take part in SCO meet in Delhi

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New Delhi, May 12

Delegates from Pakistan and China will participate in the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Tashkent-based anti-terror body Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) to be held here from May 16 to 19.

From Pakistan, a three-member delegation is expected to arrive for the meeting. SCO meetings have generally overlooked tense ties among member countries. An Indian delegation had also travelled to Pakistan for a SCO meeting.

But noteworthy is the fact that this is the first government delegation to visit India after a new government took over in Islamabad. It has since signalled a return to normal trade ties by appointing a Minister (Trade) in the High Commission here.

India will also host a SCO joint anti-terrorist exercise (JATE) in Manesar later this year.

However, differences have erupted in meetings as was the case two years back during a virtual meeting of SCO NSAs. Indian NSA Ajit Doval had symbolically walked out of a virtual meeting after his Pakistani counterpart sat before a new Pakistani map which laid claim to Kashmir and Junagadh.

At the same time, Foreign Ministers of India and China had met on the sideline of a SCO Ministerial in Moscow in 2020 to seek a solution to the military confrontation in Eastern Ladakh.

SCO was formed in 2001 but India and Pakistan became members only in 2017.

India is the current chair of the executive council of SCO RATS.