External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev in Beijing on Monday, where the two leaders held discussions on the SCO’s growing significance and the ongoing efforts to modernise the functioning of the 10-member bloc.
In a post on X, Jaishankar stated: “Glad to meet SCO SG Nurlan Yermekbayev in Beijing today. Discussed the contribution and importance of SCO, as well as the endeavors to modernize its working.”
Jaishankar’s visit to Beijing — his first in five years — follows his trip to Singapore and comes ahead of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM), scheduled to be held in Tianjin. He is also expected to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit.
The 25th SCO Heads of State Council Meeting will take place in Tianjin later this year. India had held the presidency of the SCO in 2023, while Pakistan hosted the Leaders’ Summit in 2024.
The SCO, a permanent intergovernmental body, currently comprises India, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. It focuses on regional cooperation in areas such as security, economy, connectivity, and counter-terrorism.
Jaishankar’s visit follows earlier high-level participation by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in SCO meetings held in China in June.
Notably, during the Defence Ministers’ meeting last month, India withheld its signature from the joint statement after the declaration failed to acknowledge the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. India had insisted on strong language against terrorism, but the final draft was reportedly blocked by Pakistan.
