Modi to virtually lead Indian delegation at SCO summit; Jaishankar to participate in Dushanbe

This will be the first SCO summit to be held in a hybrid format and the fourth summit that India will participate as a full-fledged member.

New Delhi: The 21st meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of State is slated to be held on September 17 in Dushanbe. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format -- physically as well as online -- the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday.

The meeting will be chaired by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Indian delegation and address the plenary session of the summit via video conferencing.

At Dushanbe, India will be represented by External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The SCO summit will be attended by the leaders of its Member States, Observer States, secretary-general of the SCO, executive director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) and the president of Turkmenistan among others.

This will be the first SCO summit to be held in a hybrid format and the fourth summit that India will participate as a full-fledged member.

The 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 prospects of cooperation in future. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also likely to be discussed.