PM Modi to attend SCO summit virtually on September 16

September 13, 2021 at 12:29 PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on September 16. Heads of state of seven other neighbouring nations will also participate in the high-level meeting.

The summit assumes significance against the backdrop of the Afghanistan crisis, which saw the American forces leaving the country after 20 years and the return of the Taliban. The war-ravaged country is expected to figure prominently in the talks.

The SCO summit comprises eight member states — Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. Tajikistan is the current Chair of the grouping and the meeting will take place from September 16 to 17 the capital Dushanbe in hybrid mode

It is expected that Chinese President Xi Jinping will also be present virtually. Pakistani PM Imran Khan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other central Asian countries will be present in person.

The last two months have seen a number of meetings of SCO foreign, defence and national security advisors meeting in Dushanbe. (India Today)