SCO foreign ministers meet to boost cooperation in security, trade

Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will meet on Friday to prepare the agenda for the group’s summit in July, where 15 decisions or proposals will be signed off. The measures will boost cooperation in trade, commerce, security and socio-cultural affairs among SCO members

The meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday will prepare the agenda for the grouping’s summit in July, including measures to boost cooperation in security, trade and commerce.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will chair the SCO meet (File Photo)

The meeting, to be chaired by external affairs minister S Jaishankar at Taj Exotica Resort in this seaside village, is expected to sign off on 15 decisions or proposals aimed at bolstering cooperation in a range of areas, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

While declining to go into specifics, the people said the decisions are expected to enhance cooperation among SCO members on trade and commerce, strategic issues such as security and counter-terrorism, and socio-cultural matters.

“This meeting will be in the nature of a stock-taking exercise and a clearing house for proposals that are before the SCO. The 15 decisions that have been discussed will be signed and forwarded for the SCO Summit to be held in New Delhi in July,” one of the people cited above said.

While pressing global issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the situation in Afghanistan could figure in Friday’s meeting, the people said bilateral matters such as India-Pakistan relations are not discussed by the grouping in keeping with the SCO Charter.

Secretary (economic relations) Dammu Ravi of the external affairs ministry told reporters: “The most important work before the SCO foreign ministers will be to assess the status of decisions that will be approved at the SCO Summit.”

The meeting will also be an opportunity to discuss the state of multilateral cooperation within SCO, reform and modernisation of the grouping, regional and global issues, and the process of admitting Iran and Belarus as full members, Ravi said.

The SCO Summit is expected to take a final decision on granting the status of dialogue partner to Kuwait, Myanmar, the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the people said.

Belarus, Iran and Mongolia currently have observer status with the SCO, which also has nine dialogue partners, including Egypt, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

The SCO was formed in 2001, primarily at China’s initiative, as a security-oriented grouping. India and Pakistan joined as full members in June 2017, and the other members are China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Since its admission into the SCO, the Indian side has focused on bolstering economic and cultural cooperation among member states.

“India is able to play a versatile role, which is reflected in its membership of the G20, Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) and SCO. That shows our role is appreciated and we are a balancing force. I think this is recognised by all the countries and groups,” the person said.

The people further said a proposal for settlement of mutual trade by SCO members in their national currencies is at a “very initial stage” and no decision has been reached so far. However, they noted that India had strengthened the SCO process, especially in economic and socio-cultural issues.

Ravi noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had articulated India’s priorities as the chair of SCO with the theme of “SECURE” or security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection.

Under its presidency of SCO, India has hosted more than 100 meetings and events, including 15 ministerial meetings. These include meetings of ministers of defence, finance, environment, transport, energy, tourism and culture. Under an Indian initiative, the last SCO Summit in September 2022 agreed to create two new mechanisms focused on start-ups and innovation, and traditional medicine.