New Delhi (PTI): India has announced that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conclave in Pakistan in mid-October. This marks the first visit by an Indian external affairs minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years, amidst strained relations between the two countries.
Pakistan is hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15 and 16. The last Indian external affairs minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj, who attended a conference on Afghanistan in December 2015.
The announcement of Jaishankar’s visit was made by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. He clarified that the minister’s visit is solely for the SCO summit, despite Pakistan’s previous invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jaishankar’s visit signifies India’s commitment to the SCO, a regional security cooperation bloc. Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained since the Pulwama terror attack and India’s abrogation of Article 370.
India has consistently sought normal relations with Pakistan while demanding Islamabad address terrorism and hostility. Pakistan’s then foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, visited India in May 2023 for an SCO foreign ministers’ meeting.
The SCO Council of Heads of Government conclave is the second-highest platform within the organization, following the SCO Heads of state summit. India chaired the SCO last year, hosting the virtual summit in July.
India joined the SCO as an observer in 2005 and became a full member in 2017. It actively participates in the SCO’s security-related cooperation, including the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS).
The SCO, founded in 2001, comprises India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.
