New Delhi, October 2024 – India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Pakistan later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, marking the first official visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to the country in nine years. The last such visit was in 2015 by then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Jaishankar will lead a delegation to Islamabad for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, scheduled for October 15-16, 2024. The decision to attend the summit highlights India’s commitment to the regional security cooperation and economic discussions fostered by the SCO, despite the strained relations between India and Pakistan.
Major Diplomatic Step
This visit comes against the backdrop of a strained relationship between the two nations, particularly following the Pulwama terrorist attack in 2019 and India’s retaliatory Balakot airstrikes targeting Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Pakistan. Tensions further escalated after India’s revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, a move that Pakistan strongly opposed.
While Pakistan had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, the Indian government decided to send Jaishankar for the summit. “The External Affairs Minister will lead our delegation to Pakistan to participate in the SCO summit which will be held in Islamabad on October 15 and 16,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
S Jaishankar’s Recent Remarks on Pakistan
At the United Nations General Assembly last week, Jaishankar warned Pakistan that its policy of cross-border terrorism could never succeed, while also highlighting Pakistan’s ongoing economic crisis. His participation in the SCO summit, despite this rhetoric, demonstrates India’s continued focus on strengthening ties with regional partners through multilateral platforms like the SCO.
India’s Role in the SCO
India, a permanent member of the SCO since 2017, has played an active role in advancing regional cooperation through this platform, hosting the SCO summit virtually in July 2023. Founded in 2001, the SCO includes major regional powers such as China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is one of the largest transregional organizations, focusing on security, economic development, and cultural exchange.
India’s participation in this summit underscores its interest in maintaining regional stability, even as it continues to address its complex bilateral relationship with Pakistan.
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