External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar to represent India at the 24th SCO Summit in Astana

New Delhi, July 02: The 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) will be held on July 4, 2024, in Astana, Kazakhstan, under Kazakhstan’s presidency. Dr S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, will lead the Indian delegation, MEA officials said.

During the Summit, leaders will review the organisation's activities over the past twenty years and discuss future multilateral cooperation. Key regional and international issues are also on the agenda.

“India’s priorities in SCO are shaped by the Prime Minister’s vision of a ‘SECURE’ SCO. SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection. India, under its first-ever presidency of SCO, hosted the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on 04 July 2023 in virtual format, “ MEA press release said.

Prime Minister Modi will not attend this year’s Summit, delegating Dr. Jaishankar to lead the Indian delegation in Astana. The Summit will occur from July 3-4, with Kazakhstan assuming the presidency from India.

Last year, India hosted the SCO Summit virtually, where PM Modi expressed full support for the event's success in a recent call with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Prime Minister Modi has attended five SCO Summits over his tenure, including the 2022 meeting in Uzbekistan, where he urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, stating, “This is not an era of war.”

The SCO, consisting of India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is a significant economic and security bloc. The Astana Summit will likely see participation from leaders such as President Vladimir Putin, President Xi Jinping, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan.

Founded by China and Russia in 2001, the SCO is the world’s largest regional organisation in geographic scope and population, covering 80% of Eurasia and 40% of the global population. It succeeded the Shanghai Five, formed in 1996, and expanded to include Uzbekistan in 2001, and India and Pakistan in 2017. Iran joined in July 2023, with several countries holding observer or dialogue partner status.

The SCO is governed by the Heads of State Council (HSC), which meets annually and includes the Regional Antiterrorist Structure (RATS).