PM Narendra Modi hosting the SCO: What is the significance of the event?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) virtual summit today. The meeting is held at a very important time, especially when the country's ties with China and Pakistan are tense.

Significance of the meeting

Ashok Sajjanhar, a former IFS officer, who served as the ambassador of the country to Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Sweden explains the significance of the issue from both Russia's and India’s point of view.

Through the event, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin will get to see that Russia’s influence and relevance have decreased due to the war. This could be clearly seen at the last SCO meeting in Samarkand last year. Possibly, this may send Russia a message that the war may have to be ended soon.

Talking about India, the country has recently seen a successful visit by its Prime Minister to the United States. For the last 20-plus year, the relations between India and US has been growing, but the visit will foster these relations. On top of it, India being a part of the SCO summit will boost the country’s strategic autonomy.

SCO Summit 2023: Series of events

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit this time was hosted by India. The summit witnessed the presence and participation of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chinese President Xi Jinping as well.\

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the meeting of SCI Heads of State. The agenda included issues like regional security, Ukraine war and prosperity, and terrorism were on the agenda to be discussed.

The theme of the chairship of SCO by India is SECURE. The theme is derived from PM Modi's coined acronym in the year 2018 at the SCO Quingdao Summit. The theme SECURE is an abbreviation for Security. Economic development, Connecitivity, Unity, Respect for Sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental Protection.

Vladimir Putin, Russia's President also participated in the summit. The participation is important as it comes at a time when the war between Russia and Ukraine completes around a year.

India joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the year 2005 as an observer nation. It then became a complete member of the group in the year 2017 at the Astana Summit. In the past six years, India has been successful in taking an active and positive stand in almost all SCO operations.

In September 2022, at the SCO Summit in Samarkand, India took over from Uzbekistan the chairmanship of the SCO. In the tenure of India's presidency, the SCO has been successful in touching new milestones and enhancing its engagement and interactions across the world.

India has developed five new focus areas of cooperation in the Cooperation Organization (SCO). These are Startups and Innovation, Digital Inclusion, Shared Buddhist Heritage, Digital Inclusion, and Traditional Medicine.

A group of experts working on Traditional Medicine and a group of specialists for Startups and Innovation have been created as India's initiatives.

While PM Modi chairs the SCO summit, the government hopes to cease its presidency with a consensus in the manner of a joint communique that addresses issues relating to de-radicalization, Afghanistan, and the need for improvement in global governance architecture, counter-terrorism, connectivity, and energy.

At the summit, PM Modi addressed by saying that we do not view the SCO as an extended neighborhood, but instead as an extended family. He also stated the pillars of our vision which are Security, Economic development, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and lastly, Environmental protection. The Prime Minister also said that the SCO has been successful in emerging as an important platform for peace, prosperity, and development of Eurasia.

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