India to host first SCO summit on energy cooperation – Photo: Sputnik

India is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) first ministerial meeting today.

This meeting will see energy ministers of the SCO’s member states gather in Delhi. Subsequent meetings on topics such as defence, environment, national security, transport and more will be held over the coming months. The SCO is made up of Eurasian member-states, with a focus on enhancing regional cooperation in all of these areas.

Collectively, SCO members account for almost 20 percent of the world’s oil reserves and 44 percent of its natural gas, with Russia in particular making up a large portion of this. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered the current global energy crisis, which is likely to be central to the energy ministers meeting.

While most of the member-states of SCO are ones which have showed little direct opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is likely they may voice some concerns over the energy crisis. Rather than directly criticise Russia however, it seems more likely they will unite together in their opposition of western sanctions. The SCO has often been vocal in its stance on non-interference and of countries imposing unilateral sanctions, and so this seems the most likely outcome of this meeting.