A senior official in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has informed that India will host a summit of the council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on November 30, 2020.
The focus of the summit will be on the contribution to trade and the economic agenda of the influential grouping. India has already been focusing on expanding its cooperation with SCO.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an eight-nation regional grouping that represents around 42% of the world’s population and 20% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
India set to host next SCO Summit:
Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West) in the MEA stated that India’s Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of government during 2020, which will be culminating in the summit in India on November 30, provides India an opportunity to contribute in a substantive way on the economic and trade agenda of SCO.
He added that more than a decade of engagement with the organisation, underscores India’s plan to play a more meaningful role in this regional grouping.
SCO also provides a springboard for India to reconnect to this extended neighbourhood, through which region is bound by the enduring binds of centuries of common history.
India was an observer at SCO since 2005 and became its full member in 2017. Ever since the country has been pushing for connectivity projects to gain access to resource-rich central Asian countries.
What can be India’s role in the summit?
As per Vikas Swarup, India hopes to play a ‘constructive’ role in enriching the agenda of the SCO by placing humans at the centre of its ‘ thoughts and actions’ to foster well -being and greater prosperity of the region.
He also talked about India’s civilizational links with Central Asian Nations. Also, India’s growing economic potential and vast experience and expertise can add greater value to SCO’s ongoing projects and can also share best practices in newer areas to forge a common vision for the region.
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