nCa Report
On Tuesday, 4 July, an online meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
The meeting was attended by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, President of China Xi Jinping, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the summit as a guest of the chairing party.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi and President of Mongolia Ukhnagiin Khurelsukh have been invited to the meeting as heads of the SCO observer countries.
India’s chairmanship in the SCO was held under the slogan SECURE. In fact, this is not just one word, but a whole acronym SECURE, encompassing the themes of the Indian presidency: security, economy, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, environmental protection.
The summit participants focused on the state of multilateral cooperation in all spheres of SCO activity and its development prospects, including political and security issues, trade and investment, transportation and energy, culture and humanitarian exchanges. The leaders discussed global and regional developments in great detail and prioritized joint efforts to counter current threats and challenges. They exchanged opinions on making SCO activities more efficient, modernizing its executive mechanisms and the prospects for expanding the Organization.
An important outcome of the summit was the completion of the membership procedure for Iran, as well as the signing of a package of documents, including:
– New Delhi Declaration
– Approval of the Strategy of Economic Development in the SCO region until 2030;
– The decision on the completion of the procedure for the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO and granting it the status of a SCO member State;
– The decision to sign a Memorandum of Obligations of the Republic of Belarus in order to obtain the status of a SCO member state.
10 documents have also been adopted aimed at further enhancing economic cooperation and digital transformation, ensuring regional security and expanding cultural and humanitarian ties.
Kazakhstan takes over the chairmanship in the Organization in 2023-2024. The next SCO Heads of State Summit will be held in Kazakhstan in 2024. ///nCa, 5 July 2023
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