Cong delegation to attend SCO pol parties forum meet in China

A high-level delegation of the Congress party will take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Political Parties Forum in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.

The six-member delegation, led by former Union minister and deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, left for Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province today.

The forum is part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a Eurasian political, economic, and security organisation, which was created in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan joinedt he SCO as full members on June 9, 2017, at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

According to sources, the Congress delegation comprises AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, party's chief whip and Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneshwar Kalita, former Union minister MM Pallam Raju, former MP Rajni Patil and former MP and former PCC chief of Kerala K Murlidharan.

The Congress delegation has been invited by the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

The political conference, from May 25-28, is being hosted by the international department of the Central Committee of the CPC. It will see exchanges with political parties from other countries and seeks to highlight China's determination to pursue its opening-up policy.

Sources said the delegation will also hold important bilateral meetings with the CPC leadership to further promote friendly relations between the Congress and the Communist Party of China.