The Regional SCO Summit has recently convened after 2 years. This historic meeting focused on two aspects. It featured the controversial meeting of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since the Ukraine War, India has been neutral about its position of support, making this meeting between India and the aggressor Russia a highly controversial one. The second aspect was the meeting of Indian PM Modi with the Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was important to mend relations between India and China following the border standoff that took an ugly turn in the past couple of years. But what is the Regional SCO Summit? Let’s take an in-depth look.

What is the Regional SCO Summit?

The Regional SCO Summit is also known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. The goal of this summit was to focus on cooperation with international and regional organisations in all of its member countries. The legal framework of the SCO constitutes certain documents that grant it special powers to make decisions on these topics of cooperation. These documents include –

  • MoU between Secretariat of SCO and the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States which was established in 2005 in Beijing.
  • MoU between Secretariat of SCO and the Secretariat of the ASEAN in 2005 in Jakarta.
  • MoU between the Secretariat of the SCO and the Secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty in 2007 in Dushanbe.

Apart from this, the SCO stands on 6 more joint declarations and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). These solidify the position of the SCO in making joint decisions about economic and trade as well as welfare issues concerning all of its member states. But who are the member states of the Regional SCO Summit?

Membership of the Regional SCO Summit

The SCO consists of 8 member states, 4 observer states, and 6 dialogue partner states. The member states have the highest authority when it comes to taking decisions. The SCO often takes decisions on matters of politics, economics, and national security when it comes to all of the member states.

Member States:

  1. China
  2. India
  3. Kazakhstan
  4. Kyrgyzstan
  5. Russia
  6. Pakistan
  7. Tajikistan
  8. Uzbekistan

Observer States:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Belarus
  3. Iran
  4. Mongolia

Dialogue Partner States:

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Cambodia
  • Nepal
  • Sri Lanka
  • Turkey

During the Regional SCO Summit every year, all of these member states, observer states, and dialogue partners convene. So, when did the SCO Summit start? What is its significance for India?

History of the Regional SCO Summit

The first Regional SCO Summit was held in Shanghai, China, in 2001. This was followed by the next summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2002. Henceforth, this summit was held once every year during the months of June to August. The most recent one in 2022 was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This latest summit was so important for India because it was here that the decision was made to hold the next summit in India. It has never been held in India in its entire history.

Takeaway

While this summit will be held in New Delhi, India, in 2023, this is not the highlight of the 2022 event. Indian Prime Minister met the Russian President amidst the ongoing controversy of the Ukraine War. Some critics may consider that India has sided with Russia in this conflict. However, India’s position about the Ukraine War is still neutral. This meeting was nothing but a cordial convention of the SCO.