GoShorts: India At 21st SCO Summit
- 21st SCO meet to be held in Dushanbe, Kazakhstan. Afghanistan to be key focus of the meet
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and MEA S. Jayashankar will represent India at the summit
- Iran also made new full member of SCO. Its inclusion seen as significant since it is a major host of Afghan refugees, and strategially placed toplay important role in development and to counter destabilization in the region.
- All neighbouring countries of Afghanistan are now part of SCO.
- Regional security, cooperation, review of organization's work till date will be focus of Heads Of State Council, highest body of SCO
- S Jayashankar in special session on Afghanistan situation
- SCO was founded in 2001. Founding members: Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan
- India and Pakistan made full members in 2017.
- Russian and Chinese are the official languages of the SCO
- SCO is seen as a NATO counterweight in the region
