PM leaves for Astana to attend SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left for Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit that is expected to grant India full membership.

"Expanding the multilateral footprint. PM @narendramodi departs for Astana to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

Ahead of his departure, Modi on Wednesday said full membership of the SCO would help India in terms of connectivity and economic and counter-terror cooperation with the Eurasian bloc.

With Pakistan also expected to be granted full membership at the Astana Summit, the two South Asian neighbours are going to be the seventh and eighth members of the SCO after China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

After participating in the Summit on Friday, Modi will also attend the World Exposition, which Kazakhstan is hosting this year, before returning to India.

--IANS

ab/pgh/vt