India to host SCO meet next week: Trade, economic cooperation to be the focus

On Monday, (November 30, 2020), India is set to host a summit of the council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This will be the first time that India is hosting a meeting of the body since it became a full member in 2017 and the agenda is focused on the trade and economic agenda of the grouping.

Why is the grouping important? India is currently holding the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, which will end on Monday. And the meeting is expected to help in giving an opportunity to India to contribute to the trade and economic agenda of SCO.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the focus of India has been on the expansion of its cooperation with the eight-member regional grouping which is representing almost 42 % of the world’s population.

At a recent seminar organised by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), on ties between India and SCO, Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West) in the MEA, in his remarks had talked about the renewed momentum in building regional synergies by the bloc.

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