India changes SCO Summit from physical to online on 4th July |
India as the chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for 2023 has announced that it will host the SCO Summit virtually now and not in the physical mode. Earlier this year India had announced a physical summit to be held with a lot of fanfare. On 30th May 2023, India said the decision to go virtual was not because member states’ leaders did not want to or could not schedule visit to India. The SCO Summit will now be held virtually on July 4. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the "virtual format" of the 22nd SCO council of heads of state summit. Indian External Affairs Ministry did not give a reason for the change of mode for the summit. Officials have denied speculation that India did not want to host China and Pakistan leaders physically due to ongoing tensions. Similarly, officials did not agree with the notion that India may not want to host the Russian President at this time of heightened of Russia-Ukraine conflict. Rather, Indian officials said Presidents of China and Russia are already anticipated to visit India for the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September. However, India does not seem inclined to entertain controversial visits prior to the G20 Summit. The military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and continuous strains in relations with Pakistan over cross-border terrorism may well have something to do away with a physical SCO Summit. China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are among the SCO nations whose presidents India has already invited to the summit. As observer states, Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia have been invited. Turkmenistan received an invitation as the chair`s guest, as is customary for the SCO. Along with the leaders of six international and regional organizations, such as the UN, Asean, and Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the SCO secretariat and SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) heads will also attend the summit. "Towards an SECURE SCO" is the summit`s theme. Security, economy and commerce, connection, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environment are all abbreviated as SECURE. Under its presidency, India has established new pillars of collaboration, such as startups and innovation, conventional medicine, digital inclusiveness, youth empowerment, and common Buddhist heritage. Additionally, it has promoted intercultural relationships that honor the shared past of the member states. In September 2022, India first took over as the SCO`s rotating chairman.
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