External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday (2nd July 2024) reached Astana in Kazhakstan. He will represent Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lead the Indian delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO Summit which will be held on Thursday. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev welcomed Dr Jaishankar on his arrival.

The External Affairs Minister met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazhakstan Murat Nurtleu today. Dr Jaishankar thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. They discussed the expanding Strategic Partnership and India’s increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Both also exchanged views on regional and global issues.

At the SCO Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organization’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting.

India’s priorities in SCO are shaped by Prime Minister’s vision of a ‘SECURE’ SCO. SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection. India, under its first-ever presidency of SCO, hosted the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on 4th July last year in virtual format.