External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Astana (Kazakhstan) to be held on 3-4 July, it was officially announced here on Friday.
At a media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Moscow for the India-Russia Annual Summit soon. He said preparations for the summit are being made and the dates could be announced soon.
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The SCO brings together China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan. It acts as a platform for member states to address regional security concerns, fight terrorism, and promote economic development and also serves as a partner to the United Nations on issues related to peace and security
Usually, the PM represents India at its summits but Mr Modi has deputed his foreign minister to lead the Indian delegation this time apparently since it coincides with the Parliament session.
Last year, Prime Minister Modi virtually hosted the SCO summit and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Russian President Vladimir Putin also participated.
