Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders convene for summit in Kyrgyzstan
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit kicks off today, with the leaders of 8 Eurasian nations meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan until the working week’s end. The grouping represents 42% of global population, 22% of land area and 20% of global GDP.
High on the agenda is Chinese President, Xi Jinping’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signifying the closer and friendlier ties between the two states.
Also on the agenda is an Indo-Russian meeting, with Russian President Vladimir Putin set to take part, as the BRICS members within the SCO seek to find ways to rebound against the protectionist trade policies of US President Donald Trump. India, China and Russia target “joint resistance to any manifestations of unilateral protectionism and value cooperation in the name of forming a global economy of a new type, while strengthening the multilateral trade system that is already inclusive, transparent, non-discriminatory and rules based.”
A formal bilateral meeting between Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is not on the agenda as due to ongoing tensions between the two nations stemming from the recent Kashmir attack in February.
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