His visit comes at the invitation of Sirojiddin Muhriddin, the Foreign Minister of Tajikistan which is the chair of the SCO this year….reports Asian Lite News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Tajikistan on July 13-14 to take part in the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers.
His visit comes at the invitation of Sirojiddin Muhriddin, the Foreign Minister of Tajikistan which is the chair of the SCO this year.
The meeting will discuss the achievements of the organization as it celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its formation this year, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday.
It will also assess the preparation for the upcoming SCO Council of Heads of States scheduled to be held on September 16-17 in Dushanbe.
The SCO Foreign Ministers will also exchange views on current international and regional issues.
According to the MEA, Jaishankar will also participate in the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan on July 14. The group’s meet will see the participation of the Afghanistan Government.
The meeting is significant as it comes at a time when Afghanistan is wracked by a military offensive against the government by the Taliban.
The SCO grouping has 8 member states–Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Mongolia, Belarus, Afghanistan, and Iran are observer countries. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cambodia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners.
Jaishankar’s Tajikistan visit comes days after he undertook a three-day visit to Russia from July 7-9. He also visited Georgia. (India News Network)
