The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The summit is expected to see participation from leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
During the summit, regional and global issues are expected to be discussed. Last year, during the virtual SCO Summit, Jaishankar had expressed India’s concerns over terrorism in the presence of then-Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto.
In a telephonic conversation with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev earlier this week, PM Modi conveyed India’s full support for the success of the event. India held the SCO presidency last year and hosted the summit virtually in July 2023.
Over the past 10 years, PM Modi has attended five previous SCO summits before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, he travelled to Uzbekistan for the summit and urged President Putin to end the war in Ukraine, stating that “this is not an era of war”.
The decision to send Jaishankar to lead the Indian delegation underscores India’s continued engagement with the SCO platform, even as the Prime Minister opts not to attend the summit this year. The External Affairs Minister’s participation will be crucial in representing India’s interests and perspectives on regional and global issues at the high-level gathering.
