Astana (Kazakhstan):

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met UN chief Antonio Guterres and discussed global hotspots and their larger implications apart from the reform of the UNSC.

Mr Jaishankar, who is here to represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and carrying out various bilateral meetings on the sidelines, also met his Belarusian and Tajikistan counterparts Maksim Ryzhenkov and Sirojiddin Muhriddin respectively.

“Always a pleasure to meet UNSG @antonioguterres. Appreciate his insights on the state of the world. Discussed global hotspots and their larger implications,” Mr Jaishankar posted on the social media platform X.

He further said that he spoke about the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), preparations for the upcoming ‘Summit of the Future’ in September, and future prospects for meaningful India-UN partnership.

Earlier, he had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Tajikistan, Belarus and Russia.

“Glad to meet Tajik FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin today in Astana. Took stock of our bilateral partnership and cooperation on multilateral forums. Appreciate the exchange of views on the regional situation,” Jaishankar posted on the social media platform X along with the photos of the meeting.

“Pleased to meet FM Maksim Ryzhenkov of Belarus today. Welcome Belarus to the SCO as its newest member. Discussed our bilateral relationship and its future growth potential,” the Minister posted earlier on X.

The meeting of the two Foreign Ministers came days after the first-ever India-Belarus Consular Dialogue that was held on June 28 in Minsk.

“The Indian delegation was led by Dr Aman Puri, JS (CPV), while the Belarusian delegation was led by Andrei Kozhan, Head of General Directorate for Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus,” a statement from the MEA said on Tuesday.

With nine member states — India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – the SCO has emerged as an influential economic and security bloc and one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.

Belarus will be the 10th nation to join as a member.

Kazakhstan is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit next week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday.

The SCO summit will take place from July 3-4 in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

“The External affairs minister will be leading our delegation there,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing here.

Kazakhstan took over the SCO presidency from India, which was the president last year. India hosted the SCO summit virtually in July 2023. This year’s host is Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who has proposed, among other initiatives, the establishment of a joint investment fund.

In a telephonic conversation with the Kazakhstan President on June 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his full support for the success of the upcoming summit in Astana. During the conversation, the two leaders also reiterated their commitment to continue to work together to advance bilateral strategic partnerships.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Kazakhstan’s leadership would greatly contribute to the furtherance of regional cooperation.

“Had a good conversation with President of Kazakhstan H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Thanked him for warm wishes on the success in the elections,” PM Modi wrote in a post on X.

“Reiterated the commitment to advance our Strategic Partnership with Kazakhstan. Conveyed India’s full support for the success of the upcoming SCO Summit,” he added.

Had a good conversation with President of Kazakhstan H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Thanked him for warm wishes on the success in the elections. Reiterated the commitment to advance our Strategic Partnership with Kazakhstan. Conveyed India’s full support for the success of the…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2024

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, the SCO summits were held virtually.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a political, economic, and security group that was established in 2001. The current members of the SCO are China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 

Iran became a full member in 2023, under the Indian Presidency of the grouping. Belarus is an observer state and is next in line to gain full membership.

The SCO is focused on regional security, counter-terrorism, and economic cooperation among its member states. 

The organisation covers over 60 per cent of the Eurasian landmass, 40 per cent of the world population, and 30 per cent of global GDP.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)