Tripti Nath/New Delhi

Suspense continues over Samarkand-bound Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) summit. 

The Ministry of External Affairs did not give any definite reply to questions on PM Modi's bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 22^nd Summit of  the SCO Council of Heads of State being hosted by Uzbekistan.

The Council of Heads of State is the apex decision-making body of the SCO followed by the second most important mechanism of the Council of Heads of Governments. The SCO comprises eight members - China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told media persons,” Prime Minister will have other bilateral engagements with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and some other leaders on the sidelines of the summit. We will keep you apprised as the schedule of the Prime Minister’s bilateral meetings unfolds as we go along. At this stage, this is all I can share with you.’’

Replying to a question, the Foreign Secretary said, “ SCO essentially focuses on topics that are topical to the region and does not go into details of bilateral issues between two countries. We have also seen that its focus remains on discussing developments that are taking place in our region and the world. It also focuses on mitigating the common challenges that face the region, in this particular case, counter-terrorism. It also discusses how trade and economic cooperation can be strengthened in the region. I don’t see if there is any conflict between that and the bilateral discussions between the leaders that take place on the sidelines. The two are different buckets and they both stand on their own.’’

Kwatra said that the RATS- the Regional Anti Terror Structure - is another important mechanism of SCO. “India assumed the chairship of the Executive Council of RATS in October for a year and has been focusing on promoting practical cooperation in combating the problem of terrorism in our region.”

The Foreign Secretary said that India expects that the discussions at the summit would cover topical and regional issues besides reform and expansion of the SCO, security situation in the region; India’s cooperation and perspective in the region including strengthening connectivity and boosting trade and tourism in the region. Kwatra said that the Samarkand Declaration and numerous other documents are expected to be finalized.

In a world still coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SCO summit is taking place in physical form after a period of two years.  Prime Minister Modi has been leading the Indian delegation to the SCO summit every year from the time India became a full member in 2017.

Kwatra said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Uzbekistan for the SCO Summit for a brief period. He will reach Samarkand late Thursday evening. “PM Modi will be attending the summit on Friday morning. He will attend the restricted and extended sessions and a couple of other engagements along with a set of bilateral meetings. He is scheduled to return tomorrow night.  Prime Minister Modi’s participation in the SCO Summit 2022 is “a reflection of the importance that India attaches to the SCO and its cause,'' he said.

He said that the summit usually has two sessions – a restricted session, only for the SCO member states, and then an extended session, which likely includes participation by observers and also the special invitees of the chair country, Uzbekistan as also some of the regional organizations. The heads of the two permanent bodies of the SCO- the Secretary General of the SCO Secretariat and the Director of SCO RATS will also be present in both sessions.’’