PM Modi to chair 22nd SCO Summit on July 4

The 22nd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State will take place under India’s first-ever Chairmanship on July 4, 2023. The summit, to be held in the virtual format, will be chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday (May 30, 2023).

All the SCO Member States - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - have been invited to attend the Summit. In addition, 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 be present. Further, Heads of six international and regional organizations have also been invited, viz. UN, ASEAN, CIS, CSTO, EAEU and CICA.

The theme of the Summit is ‘Towards a SECURE SCO’. The SECURE acronym was coined by the Prime Minister at the 2018 SCO Summit and stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; and Environment. "These themes have been highlighted during our Chairmanship of SCO," the MEA pointed out.

It is worth noting that India has set up new pillars of cooperation under its Chairmanship - Startups and Innovation; Traditional Medicine; Digital Inclusion; Youth Empowerment; and Shared Buddhist Heritage.

"In addition, India has worked towards fostering greater people to people ties that celebrate the historical and civilizational bonds between our nations. These include the various socio-cultural events hosted by Varanasi under the framework of the first-ever SCO Cultural and Tourist Capital for 2022-23," the MEA said.

According to the MEA, India’s Chairmanship of SCO has been a period of intense activity and mutually beneficial cooperation between Member States. India has hosted a total of 134 meetings and events, including 14 Ministerial-level meetings. India remains committed to play a positive and constructive role in the organization, and looks forward to a successful SCO Summit as the culmination of its Chairmanship, the MEA added.