21ST MEETING OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)

21ST MEETING OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)

Context:

On September 17, 2021, the 21st Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State was held in a hybrid format in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

About the Meeting:

• The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan.
• The Indian delegation was led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who participated in the meeting via video link.
• At Dushanbe, India was represented by External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar. 
• In his address, PM Modi highlighted the problems caused by growing radicalisation and extremism in the broader SCO region, which runs counter to the history of the region as a bastion of moderate and progressive cultures and values.
• After the SCO Summit an Outreach session on Afghanistan between SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) was conducted. PM Modi participated in the outreach session through a video-message.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):

• It is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance.
• Its creation was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Charter, formally establishing the organization, was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003.