PM Modi to leave for 8-nation SCO summit in Uzbekistan Thursday evening

Indian leader will have bilateral meeting with Uzbekistan President at conclave vital for Central Asia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday evening leave for the 22nd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand city, said a senior official on Thursday.

Modi will meet with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev—the only bilateral meeting the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had confirmed till Thursday afternoon. The SCO is a political, economic, and security alliance of eight nations, historically led by Russia and China. It is considered the most important conclave in Central Asia, where other nations have interests in trade, connectivity, and resource extraction.

"Apart from the summit activities, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with the President of Uzbekistan and some other leaders on the sidelines of the summit. That is all I can share at the moment," said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra in a briefing in Delhi.

Modi will attend two leaders' sessions on September 16. One session will be of SCO members: India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The other session will see extended participation of the six SCO dialogue partners. Modi is scheduled to return home on Friday evening.

This will be Modi's sixth SCO summit. During the last two annual summits, he participated in a virtual format.

Central Asia focus

"We expect the discussions during the summit will cover topical regional and international issues, reform and expansion of the SCO, the security situation in the region, our cooperation perspective in the region including strengthening connectivity and boosting trade and tourism in the region," said Kwatra.

The summit is expected to finalise the 'Samarkand declaration' and other documents. The SCO council of heads of governments deals with trade, economy and the cultural agenda of the grouping. During India's chairmanship of the council in 2020, the Modi government shaped the first forums on startups, MSMEs and young scientists. "We remain focused on strengthening our linkages with Central Asia and the extended neighborhood, and this visit will take that vision and that perspective forward," Kwatra said.

India became chairman of SCO’s executive council of Regional Anti-Terror Structure in October 2021 and it is focusing on promoting practical cooperation in combating terrorism in the region, he added.

Economic ties

India's engagements with Central Asia focuses on trade and connectivity. India held an India-Central Asia summit earlier this year, preceded by a foreign minister-level meeting.

"There is the International North South Transport Corridor. There is a larger emphasis on connectivity with the region through multiple laterals which connect India to the countries. There is focus on B2B cooperation, essentially through the Business Council segment of the India-Central Asia summit," Kwatra said.

New Delhi is focused on expanding commercial ties for strategic products. Pharmaceuticals, agricultural commodities, oil and gas and the import of key minerals from the region remain the priority for the government.