Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to skip the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kazakhstan next month, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Modi has decided not to travel to Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, for the summit-level talks scheduled on July 3-4. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar instead is set to represent India at the SCO meeting, which will witness the attendance of leaders from China, Russia, and Pakistan.
The Prime Minister’s decision not to attend the SCO summit in the central Asian country next month is attributed to the upcoming Parliament session, scheduled from June 24 to July 3. During this session, key events such as the Speaker’s election and the President’s address to both Houses are planned.
PM Modi’s presence is anticipated for the debate on the motion of thanks to the President in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, scheduled between July 2 and 4. Originally formed in 2001 by Russia and China, the SCO is a regional organization focused on security and economic cooperation across Eurasia. Its full members include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan, with Iran and Belarus set to join this year.
The meeting hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to include Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping. On Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked about India’s participation in the SCO. In response, he said that the details of the visit were not yet finalised. Last year’s summit meeting was hosted virtually by PM Modi. The SCO meeting marked India’s first such summit as the host.
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