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New Delhi:The summit is taking place against the backdrop of the more than three-year standoff between Indian and Chinese troops along the eastern Ladakh border and two weeks after Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to the US. It is expected to discuss increasing cooperation, connectivity and trade among SCO member countries.This is the first time India is presiding over the summit after joining SCO in 2017.India will host the SCO summit today.
India is hosting the summit as the current chair of SCO. India hosted the foreign ministers of the SCO for a two-day conference in Goa in May this year. The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest intra-regional international organizations.
The SCO was founded by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan at a summit in Shanghai in 2001. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017. India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the grouping’s ministerial-level meetings, mainly focused on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.
The main theme of this summit is ‘Towards Secure SCO’. The term ‘SECURE’ was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2018 SCO Summit and stands for Security, Economy & Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity, and Environment. In this, six regional and international organizations including United Nations, ASEAN, Comprehensive Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Eurasian Economic Union, CIS have been invited.
India has created five pillars of cooperation under the SCO, which include Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Digital Inclusivity, Youth Empowerment, Common Buddhist Heritage.
