Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India and China held Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Bilateral Consultations in New Delhi, discussing the SCO Leaders’ decisions and the future course of the organisation. The two sides agreed to continue and consolidate mutual cooperation and consultations in SCO matters, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on April 17.
India’s SCO National Coordinator, Ambassador Alok A Dimri and China’s National Coordinator, Ambassador Yan Wenbin, led the respective delegations during the meeting held in New Delhi on April 16-17. “Both delegations, jointly, called on Secretary (West) Shri Sibi George to review cooperation within the SCO framework, including in the areas of security, trade, connectivity, and people-to-people ties. Both sides agreed to continue mutual consultations in future,” the MEA release said.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was established on June 15, 2001, with its founding members being China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In 2017, India and Pakistan joined it. In 2023, Iran became a member, followed by Belarus in 2024, bringing the total number of SCO member states to 10.
The SCO has two observer states — Afghanistan and Mongolia — and 14 dialogue partners — Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, the Maldives, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
Kyrgyzstan holds the SCO chairmanship for 2025-2026. Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov announced the theme of the presidency: “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity.” Earlier, on April 1, China’s Ambassador to India Xu Feihong expressed Beijing’s readiness to strengthen strategic alignment, deepen practical cooperation and enhance people-to-people exchanges with New Delhi as both countries marked the 76th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.
