External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meeting with SCO to expected to finalise 15 decisions

Dr S Jaishankar holds meeting with counterparts from China, Russia, Uzbekistan on sidelines of SCO meeting

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from China, Russia and Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting here. The two-day-long meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states began in Goa on Thursday. India hosted a cultural event on Thursday evening ahead of the main meeting on Friday

 Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries will finalise in their deliberations today (May 5) a set of 15 decisions or proposals for the consideration of the grouping's summit in July, people familiar with the matter said. The proposals are aimed at expanding cooperation among the SCO member countries in the areas of trade, technology, commerce, security and socio-cultural ties.

The SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting at the sea-side Taj Exotica resort in Goa's Benaulim will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Russia's Sergey Lavrov, Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Uzbekistan's Bakhtiyor Saidov are among those who have already arrived in Goa to attend the meeting.

The people cited above said Friday's meeting is expected to finalise agreements for the inclusion of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar and the Maldives as dialogue partners in the SCO. The process to admit Iran and Belarus as full members of the grouping is reaching its final stage, they said.