Sansad TV Perspective: SCO Summit, 2022

In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.

In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic: SCO Summit, 2022.

Anchor: Teena Jha

Participants:
1. Manjeev Singh Puri, Former Ambassador
2. Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Foreign Affairs Editor, Hindustan Times
3. Alok Bansal, Director, India Foundation

Context:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Samarkand in Uzbekistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit on 15th & 16th of September. 
  • SCO is the world’s largest and most populous regional institution.
  • The 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO is the first in-person summit since June 2019.
  • Uzbekistan is the chair of SCO 2022.

Agenda/focus areas of the SCO Summit 2022:

• The participating leaders are expected to review SCO’s activities over the past two decades and also discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation in the future. 
• Also, some important issues of regional and global importance of political, economic and security spheres are also likely to be taken up. 

Significance of the upcoming summit:

• Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s participation in the SCO summit is significant given the current geopolitical scenario. The support that Russia is looking for its war efforts in Ukraine and Chinese stand on the issue will be closely looked at.
• Afghanistan issue will be discussed given the spill over effect that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has had on the regional security scenario.
• The summit provides for an opportunity to set right strained bilateral relationship between the member countries.

India’s stakes:

• On the sidelines of the SCO summit, Indian Prime Minister will also be holding bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Russia & Uzbekistan. 
• India can push for more energy purchases from Russia including oil and gas.
• Despite there being no official word on any possible meeting between Indian Prime Minister and his Pakistani counterpart or the Chinese President, it is after a long time that all these leaders will be at the same venue in person for a summit meeting. If the meetings do happen, it would be a breakthrough for India’s bilateral relationship with Pakistan and China given the strained relationship between the two sides.
• India will get an opportunity to engage with all countries in its extended neighbourhood and with whom it shares strategic interests.
• The economic potential of the central Asian region is a big opportunity for India be it in terms of resources or market potential. The summit will provide India an opportunity to engage with the countries of this region.
• India would be chairing the SCO summit in the next year. India’s participation in this summit hence holds special significance for India. This provides an opportunity for India to set agenda for the SCO in critical areas like counter-terrorism, trade etc.

Challenges for India:

• Predominance of China in the SCO and India’s strained relationship with China remains a challenge for India to ascertain its position in the SCO.
• India does not want the SCO to come across as overtly anti-west grouping given the strategic interests India shares with the west led by the U.S.

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