India to host SCO summit in July 2023

India is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Summit in July 2023, according to the country’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Meenakshi Lekhi. This will be the first time India hosts the summit since becoming a member of the group in 2017. India received the chairmanship of the group at the Samarkand SCO summit in September last year.

As an active and constructive member of the organization, India will also host ministerial meetings ahead of the summit. The defense ministers’ meeting is scheduled to take place in New Delhi from April 27 to April 29, and the foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa from May 4 to May 5.

Invitations have been sent to all the members of the grouping, including China and Pakistan, for the upcoming meetings of defense and foreign ministers. The participation of most foreign ministers of member states of the SCO has been confirmed, except for China and Pakistan.

The SCO was founded over 20 years ago and comprises eight member countries: Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. With over 60 percent of the Eurasian landmass, 40 percent of the world population, and 30 percent of the global GDP covered by the group,
the SCO aims to promote economic, political, and military cooperation among its members.

Staff Reporter