3rd November, New Delhi: The 21st meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government was held on 1st November through video conferencing. The meeting was represented by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. The meeting was attended by SCO member States, observer countries, Secretary General of SCO, Executive Director of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, Turkmenistan and other invited dignitaries.

EAM Jaishankar

In his address, EAM underlined India’s strong cultural and historical linkages with the SCO region and reiterated India’s firm commitment to deepen multilateral cooperation in the areas of food and energy security, climate change, trade and culture. He also spoke about the launch of the global mission ‘LiFE’ by Prime Minister Modi on 20th October 2022 and its relevance for ensuring food and energy security.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted that, Our total trade with SCO Members is only $141 billion, which has potential to increase manifold. Fair market access is to our mutual benefit & only way to move forward.’

In another tweet, the External Affairs Minister said that the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor can help improve connectivity and unlock economic potential in the region. He said that connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law of the member states.

The meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government is held every year. The main agenda of the meeting remains focused on business and economic interests. The annual summit of the SCO was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 15th and 16th this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in this conference. During this, he had separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the President of Uzbekistan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also went on tour with PM Modi.