PM Modi To Visit Uzbekistan For SCO Summit, Multilateral Cooperation To Feature In Talks

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Samarkand, in Uzbekistan on September 15-16, to attend the 22^nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a press release issued by the MEA read. In the summit, the leaders are expected to review the grouping’s activities over the last two decades and discuss the prospects of multilateral cooperation.

“At the invitation of the President of Uzbekistan, H.E Mr Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be visiting Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 15-16 September 2022 to attend the 22^nd meeting of the Council of Heads of states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),” the MEA press release read.

According to reports, the meeting will be attended by leaders of SCO member states, observer states, Secretary General of the SCO, Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), President of Turkmenistan and other invited guests.

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The prime minister is also likely to hold some bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

According to the MEA statement, topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the SCO summit.

It is to be noted that the 21^st meeting of the SCO, chaired by Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, was held on September 17, 2021, in a hybrid format.

It was the first SCO meeting to be held in a hybrid format and the fourth meeting in which India took part in a full-fledged manner.

Prior to that, the 20^th SCO summit was held in November 2020 and was chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier, PM Narendra Modi had attended the 19^th SCO summit from June 13-14 in 2019 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.