At the outset one should know what the SCO is and for what purpose it had taken its birth. When SCO was started it was known as Shanghi five and china and Russia were included in strong countries of this organization. SCO was born on 15th June 2001.At that time the china, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan and Uzbekistan were its member countries.SCO is a permanent inter governmental organization which European political, economic and security organization. Its main objectives of SCO are as follows: - 1. Strengthens relations among the member states. 2:-Promote cooperation in political affairs, economics and trade, scientific technical ,Cultural and educational spheres as well as in energy, transportation .tourism, and environmental protection.3:-Safeguard regional peace, security and stability and 4:- Create a democratic, equitable international and economic order.

Today’s world has become multi polar and it is no longer bi polar nor is it unipolar. The Indian Prime Minister Modi has to play an important role in SCO. Modi’s popularity is increasing day by day at the international level and the world leaders are impatient to meet and interact with Modi especially the Pakistan prime minister Shahbaz Sharief who wants that India should help the worsening economic crisis in which Pakistan is caught and thus wants to meet Modi and get all help from India to tide over the economic crisis. Thus more than meeting China for bailing out the economy. Pak Prime minister is eager to meet Modi and get economic and financial help from him. If Modi will meet Pak PM, it will led to a positive and encouraging situation for Pakistan ,as the heads of other countries will meet Sharief and lend a helping hand to Pakistan to ease the economic crises. Modi is expected to meet and interact with chinese prime minister xi Jinping and discuss the boundary issue and Taiwan and other matters of mutual interest. Modi will hold talks with the Russian president Putin over various bilateral matters and will also discuss the prevailing situation of war between Russia and Ukraine and Modi will be a great stone mile to end the war which is not in the interest of the countries engaged in war for long time. Modi is also expected to meet Iranian president and discuss matters concerning the two friendly countries of India and Iran.
India has resolutely called for the deepening of cooperation on regional security related concerns, defense, countering terrorism, illicit drug trafficking etc. The 22rd edition of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit has begun in the historical city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan. Prime minister Narendra Modi, along with Chinese president XI jinping, Russian president Vladimir Putin, and Pakistan prime minister Shebaz Sharief are attending the crucial geopolitical event. This is the first in person summit of the council of Heads of SCO Member states after the last one held in June 2019 in Bishkek. While the presence of Jinping and Putin at the SCO summit has attracted enough buzz in the media, the attendance Of PM Modi becomes equally important and relevant in the backdrop of India assuming the rotational annual presidency of the SCO at the end of the Samarkand summit in Uzbekistan. The SCO provides India with an opportunity to initiate multilateral and regional initiatives on counter –terrorism and deal with the illicit drug trade, which is now being used by its neighbors to inflict social wounds and target Indian youth. India, from the time of its full membership made sincere efforts to encourage peace, prosperity and stability of the whole Eurasian region in general and SCO member countries in particular. India is performing balancing act amid anti –west narrative at the regional SCO summit. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Manish Prabhat saiud ‘’India is very clear that the SCO is not an organization which is against any other block of the countries or any other country.’’ Leaders of 15 nations have started gathering in Samarkand, Uzbekistan for the SCO summit. The most prominent among them have taken a more staunch anti-west stance since they last met in person for the SCO summit in Bishkek in 2019.This includes Russia, China and the latest entrant to the group Iran .Aware of this seemingly overarching narrative, the SCO national coordinator for Uzbekistan, Rahmatullah Nurimbetov told NDTV, “I don’t think this summit will send out any controversial message. Samarkand is the place where east and west meet .Our message from this summit will be broader cooperation in this challenging world.” He categorically said, ’’We want to avoid any confrontation, any geopolitical, ideological prejudices.’’ India’s ambassador to Uzbekistan also agreed on the contention of the SCO national coordinator for Uzbekistan.
There is great economic significance of PM Modi’s visit to Samarkand for the SCO summit 2022.The Beijing headquartered SCO is an eight member economic and security block consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. This is the first time after the 2020 covid pandemic that prime minister Narendra Modi ,his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharief along with Chinese president Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Valdimir Putin have attended the two day summit.PM Modi is expected to meet Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit where they will discuss issues of strategic stability, the situation in the Asian Pacific region and bilateral cooperation within the UN and G20.Apart from this he might meet Chinese president XI Jinping .The Indian prime minister will also have bilateral meetings with other leaders during the summit. Economic cooperation in the SCO is an important question, which will be discussed in the SCO meetings. When we are meeting with the central Asian countries,we will discuss connectivity which will promote trade, investment, and other exchanges between India and central Asian countries is said by Indian ambassador to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat.SCO can also be a vocal platform for India to push the agenda of regional and cross –regional connectivity that could force Pakistan to moderate its views and approach to linking central Asia and south Asia. Pakistan has stonewalled the strategic, economic and cultural interests of India by not facilitating connectivity and energy projects like Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India that is TAPI Power transmission line via its territory. In this context India can use the SCO to push for the Chabahar port project and international North-South Transport Corridor –INSTC. India, Iran and Uzbekistan also established a trilateral working group in 2020 to seek greater convergence on Chabahar port and other connectivity projects. The INSTC could be a game changer for SCO member states as it will connect them with India and Indian Ocean and diversify their trade partners and routes.
The role of Iran will be critical in this regard.SCO also has a potential in various new sectors wherein all the member states could find converging interests. India has already pushed hard for cooperation in Startups and Innovation, Science and Technology and Traditional Medicine. Uzbekistan views the Chabahar port as an opportunity to diversify its export market in oil and gas to control the ambitions of China. India can also leverage its time tested bilateral relations with Russia, Iran and the central Asian Republics –CARs to enhance its role within the forum. China used India –Pakistan hostility for its hegemonic pursuit’s .It also used its much hyped Belt and Road Initiative –BRI to expand its commercial footprints in central Asia, strategically located in the crossroads of Asia and Europe. The China –Pakistan Economic Corridor –CPEC increased the geo-strategic, Geo economic and security concerns of India. CPEC cuts through Pakistan occupied Kashmir and violate India’s sovereignty, forcing India to distance itself from the BRI. New Delhi can leverage the relationship with Russia, Iran and CARs to challenge and checkmate the China- Pakistan axis. In short Modi can seize the opportunity provided by the SCO summit to its geopolitical, geo-economic utility and also further the regional cooperation and will also seek the opportunity to cement a joint effort to counter terrorism and drug trafficking.

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