S Jaishankar participated in the virtual meeting of the Heads of Government of the SCO

Tags: International News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar represented India at a virtual meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on 1 November 2022.

Important facts

• The 21st Meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is being held on 1 November 2022 in the virtual format. 

• The meeting was attended by SCO Member States, Observer States, Secretary General of the SCO, Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), Turkmenistan and other invited guests.

• India remains actively engaged in various SCO activities and dialogue mechanisms in the region as well as other multilateral cooperation within the SCO framework.

• The leaders of the SCO member states met for the summit meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 16 September 2022.

• The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Samarkand Declaration was adopted.

• Member countries also called for the improvement of SCO activities and the development of efficient transport corridors for interconnectivity.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 

• It is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation.

• It was founded in 2001.

• The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and came into force in 2003.

• It is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation.

• Its aim is to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

• China, Russia and four Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan – were founding members of the SCO.

• Official Languages - Russian and Chinese

• Chairmanship - On the basis of rotation for a year by Member States

• The Council of Heads of Governments (CHG) is the second-highest council in the organization.