New Delhi: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States--China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan--have been invited to attend the 22nd summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State under India's first-ever chairmanship slated to be held on July 4, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. India assumed the rotating Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the Samarkand Summit on September 16, 2022.
"Under India’s first-ever Chairmanship, the 22nd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in the virtual format on July 4, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the MEA said. All the SCO Member States viz., China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have been invited to attend the Summit. In addition, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States.
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It is pertinent to note that as per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. Heads of the two SCO Bodies--the Secretariat and the SCO RATS--will also be present. Furthermore, Heads of six international and regional organisations have also been invited, viz., UN, ASEAN, CIS, CSTO, EAEU and CICA.
The theme of the Summit is ‘Towards a SECURE SCO’. The SECURE acronym was coined by the Prime Minister at the 2018 SCO Summit and stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; and Environment. These themes have been highlighted during our Chairmanship of SCO.
The Ministry of External said that India has set up new pillars of cooperation under its chairmanship-- start-ups and innovation; traditional medicine; digital inclusion; youth empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage--in addition, India has worked towards fostering greater people-to-people ties that celebrate the historical and civilizational bonds between our nations. These include the various socio-cultural events hosted by Varanasi under the framework of the first-ever SCO Cultural and Tourist Capital for 2022-23.
"India’s Chairmanship of SCO has been a period of intense activity and mutually beneficial cooperation between Member States. India has hosted a total of 134 meetings and events, including 14 Ministerial-level meetings," said the MEA. India remains committed to playing a positive and constructive role in the organisation and looks forward to a successful SCO Summit as the culmination of its Chairmanship.
