Afghanistan, expansion key focus at SCO summit, PM Modi to address meet

Afghanistan and expansion of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) will be key focus at the grouping's heads-of-state-summit that will take place on Friday (September 17). The summit, being hosted by Tajikistan, will take place in its capital Dushanbe in a hybrid mode. The summit will see a meeting on Afghanistan in which SCO member countries will be present along with those part of Collective Security Treaty organisation (CSTO). The CSTO is an alliance of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan

SCO summit-host Tajikistan shares a land border with Afghanistan and since Taliban takeover, raised its concerns publicly many times.

SCO grouping has 8 member states--Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and 4 central Asian countries--Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. Afghanistan is an observer member country and situation in the country impacts many of the SCO countries directly, especially central Asian states who share border with it and fear a refugee influx.

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One of the key outcomes of the summit will on expansion of the grouping with process to incorporate Iran and a full member set to start and number of countries in the gulf getting dialogue or observer status. Iran will get full membership after completion of due SCO legal process.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the SCO heads of state summit on Friday. PM is expected to address the meet between 11.30 am to 11.40 am after the welcome address by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar will be representing India at the meet in person in Dushanbe. This is the 4th time India is participating in the summit as a full-fledged member state. India's key focus at the meet will expectedly be on counter-terror, economic cooperation and most significantly, Afghanistan.

The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said, "At the Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organization’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of future cooperation. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed.'

On the sidelines of the meeting EAM will have number of bilateral meets including with his Tajik and Iranian counterparts. This will be the first in-person meet between EAM Jaishankar and Iran's new FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The heads of state and foreign minister will be arriving in the capital later today. EAM Jaishankar left for the city early on Thursday. On Friday, the summit will start around 11.30 am IST.

This Summit is significant as SCO celebrates 20th anniversary of its foundation in 2021 and Tajikistan marks 30 years of its independence. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin wil take part in this year's summit virtually, while Pakistani PM Imran Khan will be present in person. Last year, India chaired the 19th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in virtual format.