All SCO member states have been invited to take part in the 2nd Start-up Forum to be hosted by India

India has called for the creation of a new Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation.

Participating in the 20th Meeting of SCO Ministers responsible for Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade on Thursday, Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel also proposed setting up a new Expert Working Group on Cooperation in Traditional Medicine.

Cooperation in the field of start-ups & innovation can be a focal point in reviving our economies from the consequences of the pandemic, Patel said during the meeting hosted by the Republic of Kazakhstan.

She invited all SCO member states to take part in the 2nd Start-up Forum to be hosted by India on October 27-28, an official press release on the meeting said.

Patel pointed out that there was a significant gap in digital technologies between developed ang developing countries which needed to be narrowed down by building digital capacities.

She welcomed the need for environment protection and mitigation of adverse effects of climate change, she also stressed that the climate agenda should not introduce measures which becomes unnecessary barriers to trade.

In her concluding remarks, MoS Patel emphasized that SCO members must prepare, act and stand in solidarity with each other and pursue an agenda that is equitable and inclusive and development oriented.

The virtual meeting was attended by the Secretary General of SCO and Heads of Delegations of China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.