India will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit tomorrow in a virtual format. The 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

According to the External Affairs Ministry, all the SCO Member States China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have been invited to attend the Summit. Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States.

As per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. Heads of the two SCO bodies—the Secretariat and the SCO RATS will also attend the Summit. The theme of India’s Chairmanship of SCO-SECURE is derived from the acronym given by the Prime Minister at the 2018 SCO Qingadao Summit. SECURE stands for Security, Economic development, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection. 

Our correspondent reports that India assumed the rotating Chairmanship of SCO at the Samarkand Summit in September last year. India set up new pillars of cooperation under its Chairmanship by emphasising startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment, and shared Buddhist heritage. India emphasized building greater people-to-people connect to further the Prime Minister’s vision of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakom. India has hosted a total of 134 meetings and events, including 14 Ministerial-level meetings.