New Delhi, Aug 30 (UNI) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit at Tianjin in China on August 31-September 1 is expected to be an event of friendship, solidarity and tangible achievements, highlighting the SCO’s resilience and stability amid global tensions, the SCO has said.
The Tianjin Summit is expected to be the largest in SCO history, according to Fan Xianrong, responsible for the work of China’s SCO national coordinator.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Tianjin Summit. He is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Summit.
A day ahead of the two-day Summit, SCO said on its official website that China, together with all member States, will remain committed to the SCO’s founding mission, fulfil its responsibilities through concrete actions and seek common prosperity through cooperation.
The Summit is set to build consensus, inject fresh momentum into cooperation and map out a blueprint for future development, Fan was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
China’s President Xi Jinping will chair the Summit and deliver the keynote address.
The leaders attending the Summit are expected to approve a development strategy of the SCO for the next 10 years, issue statements marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II and the 80th founding anniversary of the United Nations and adopt a series of outcome documents on strengthening security, economic and cultural cooperation and promoting people-to-people connevtivity.
From its six founding members the SCO now has 10 member States, two observer States and 14 dialogue partners. It is now the world’s largest regional international organization in terms of both geographical area and population.
India became a member in 2017.
“The SCO will keep its doors open and will welcome more countries that embrace the Shanghai Spirit into the SCO family,” Fan said adding China aims to attract broader participation in SCO cooperation across various fields adding certainty and positive momentum to lasting peace and shared prosperity worldwide.
He said China will work closely with all parties to advance the SCO’s high-quality growth, focusing on five key priorities—enhancing security mechanisms, creating and sharing development opportunities, strengthening good-neighbourly relations, upholding international fairness and justice and maintaining openness and inclusiveness.
Besides Prime Minister Modi, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon will attend the Summit.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are also expected to attend.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn will also attend the Summit.
On September 3, China will host a major military parade to commemorate the end of World War II in Asia. Many leaders attending the SCO Summit are expected to stay on for the parade.
