India will host the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations at a two-day conclave in Goa beginning Thursday amid the escalating confrontation between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine and concerns over China’s expansionist behaviour.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are among those set to attend the meeting that will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The overall situation in Afghanistan including apprehensions that thecountry may turn into a breeding ground for terrorism under the Taliban rule as well as the fast evolving regional security situation are expected to figure prominently during the deliberations.
However, the spotlight is expected to be also on whether there will be a bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Bhutto-Zardari on the sidelines of the SCO conclave.
India is emerging as a key player among the SCO countries though China and Russia are seen as the major drivers of the grouping that is increasingly seen as an “alternative” to NATO.
In a way, New Delhi has been uniquely placed in the SCO as it is also a member of the four-nation coalition Quad. The other members of the Quad are the US, Japan and Australia.
People familiar with the preparation of the conclave said ways to expand overall cooperation including in areas of trade, investment and connectivity will figure prominently in the discussions. It is expected that challenges of terrorism as well as dealing with implications of the war in Ukraine will also be discussed. India is hosting the SCO conclave when its ties with China are under severe strain in view of the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh.
People familiar with the preparation of the conclave said the foreign ministers will deliberate on overall challenges facing the region in the backdrop of the current geo-political turmoil and the state of bilateral ties between the member nations would not impact the discussions.
On the sideline of the conclave, the external affairs minister is expected to hold separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and a few other member nations, people familiar with the matter said.