New Delhi, 23 June: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to miss out the next Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kazakhstan next week. Modi has chosen not to attend summit-level meetings in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, slated for July 3-4. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the SCO conference, which will be attended by leaders from China, Russia, and Pakistan.
The Prime Minister’s decision not to attend the SCO summit in the Central Asian country next month is due to the forthcoming Parliament session, which runs from June 24 to July 3. During this session, significant events like as the Speaker’s election and the President’s address to both houses are scheduled.
PM Modi is expected to attend the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha debates on motions of gratitude to the President, which are slated for July 2?4. Founded in 2001 by Russia and China, the SCO is a regional organization focusing on security and economic cooperation across Eurasia. Its complete membership includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan, with Iran and Belarus due to join this year.
The conference, hosted by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is anticipated to feature Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.
Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for the MEA, was asked about India’s membership in the SCO. In answer, he stated that the visit specifics had not yet been finalised. Last year’s gathering was virtually hosted by Prime Minister Modi. The SCO gathering was India’s first such summit as host.
