The 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Islamabad, where several important issues were discussed and eight major agreements were signed. These agreements cover important topics such as the budget of the SCO, the operation of the Secretariat, and counter-terrorism efforts.
Key Outcomes of the Summit
India’s Concerns
- India warned against terrorism, extremism and separatism as a threat to regional peace and development.
- India did not support China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is against the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty.
- Sanctions on Russia: The meeting criticised the “unilateral sanctions” imposed on Russia by Western countries.
- Digital Agenda: India’s digital agenda was taken forward, including digital public infrastructure (DPI) and digital inclusion in the framework of SCO cooperation.
Importance of SCO for India
- Combating terrorism: Access to information and intelligence on terrorist activities and drug trafficking is gained through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).
- Cooperation in Central Asia: It helps India to pursue the Connect Central Asia policy.
- India-Russia cooperation: SCO provides a platform for close cooperation between India and Russia.
- Energy security: The region has significant reserves of natural gas and oil in the world.
- Balancing Chinese dominance: Chinese influence can be balanced through projects such as Chabahar port and INSTC.
Challenges of SCO
- Disputes among member countries: Differences and disputes among various member countries can affect the functioning of the SCO.
- Competition for Chinese and Russian dominance: Maintaining a balance of powers between China and Russia is challenging.
- Conflict of divergent interests: Differing interests of member countries also pose challenges to the organization.
About SCO
- Headquarters: Beijing, China
- Origin: Permanent intergovernmental international organization established in 2001 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
- Current members: India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status.
- Goals
- To strengthen mutual trust, friendship and neighbourly relations between member countries.
To promote effective cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields