The recently held Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit 2022 took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The member states signed the Samarkand declaration, and India has taken the presidency of the SCO for 2023.
Important Takeaways From the Summit
The Samarkand declaration emphasised peaceful settlements of differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation. It promotes principles such as mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of states, equality, mutual benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, and non-use or threat of use of force. The member states are planning to curate a common list of terrorists, separatist and extremist organizations whose activities will be prohibited on their territories. Russia expressed interest in finding more customers for its gas and suggested the idea of the organisation hosting a major athletic event.
India’s Perspective and Initiatives
Connectivity was a prime concern for India at the summit. The country urged other SCO members to provide complete transit rights, thereby boosting connectivity and establishing resilient supply chains in the region. Considering the global energy and food crisis, India stressed on promoting millets to address food security issues. With regards to this, India endeavours to popularise millets and wishes for the SCO to play a key role in marking 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
India’s Contribution to Traditional Medicine and Tourism
The first-ever Global Center for Traditional Medicines, established by the World Health Organisation (WHO), was opened in Gujarat, India in April 2022. In terms of tourism, Varanasi was declared the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2022-2023. This will enhance tourism, cultural and humanitarian exchanges between India and the SCO countries. A series of events will be hosted in Varanasi during this period under a significant cultural outreach program.
All About The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
Established in 2001, the permanent intergovernmental international organisation, SCO, aims to maintain peace, security and stability in the region. It is recognised as a counterweight to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) with Russia and Chinese as its official languages. The SCO Secretariat is situated in Beijing, while the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is located in Tashkent. The chairmanship of SCO rotates annually among member states.
Originally formed as the Shanghai Five in 1996, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were part of this union. It emerged from border demarcation and demilitarization talks held between these countries and China. Upon Uzbekistan’s accession in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed as the SCO. India and Pakistan joined the SCO as members in 2017. Iran is expected to gain permanent SCO membership in 2023. Though India has been an observer at the SCO since 2005, it has actively participated in ministerial-level meetings focusing on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.
