Modi, Xi, Putin among top leaders to attend first in-person SCO summit after COVID

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will hold its first in-person summit in Samarkand in Uzbekistan on Thursday after two years, shaking off COVID fears and providing a rare opportunity for all its eight hes of state to meet on sidelines of event to have face-to-face talks on pressing global and regional issues of common concern.

last in-person SCO summit was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2019. After that, 2020 Moscow summit was held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic, while 2021 summit at Dushanbe was conducted in a hybrid mode.

Launched in Shanghai in June 2001, SCO has eight full members, including its six founding members, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017.

SCO observer states include Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia, while Dialogue partners include Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan.

This is first time after 2020 COVID pandemic that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif along with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vlimir Putin will be attending two-day summit.

sudden announcement of Xi's participation in SCO summit, shedding his COVID concerns has created a buzz.

On Wednesday, Xi for first time in over two years flew out of China. He travelled to Kazakhstan on his first state-visit since January 2020 from re he would travel to neighbouring Uzbekistan to take part in Samarkand summit.

China kept his programme under wraps and declined to confirm reports of Xi's meetings with Putin and Modi on sidelines.

sudden move by China last week acceding to India's demand to pullback its troops from contentious Petrol Point 15 at Gogra and Hot Springs, which some say is a step forward to end military standoff in eastern Lakh which began in May 2020 after which relations between two countries nosedived.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, two sides completed disengagement process last year on north and south banks of Pangong lake and in Gogra area.

pullback of troops from PP 15 has sparked speculation about likelihood of a Modi-Xi meeting at Samarkand.

Samarkand SCO summit will also mark second recent expansion of organisation as Iran will be formally mitted into influential Central Asian grouping after India and Pakistan's mission as full members in 2017.

Besides eight member states, four observer countries and six dialogue partners, around 10 or nations have expressed ir interest to join political, economic and security organisation or upgre ir status within group, according to official media reports here.

After formalities, Iran will attend next summit to be held in India.

According to SCO officials Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has applied for full membership and is expected to join grouping soon.

Besides eight SCO leers, hes of state of Iran, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia, two countries which are locked in military conflict, are due to be present at Samarkand summit making it a huge conclave, officials said.

Ahe of his visit to Uzbekistan to take part in SCO summit, Xi praised grouping, saying that it h set a fine example in international relations.

"During my visit to Uzbekistan this time, I will attend SCO Samarkand Summit. This year marks 20th anniversary of signing of Charter of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and 15th anniversary of signing of Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organization," Xi wrote in an article published in Uzbek media.

"Guided by purposes and principles enshrined in se two documents, SCO has acted on Shanghai Spirit, stayed true to its founding mission, and promoted joint efforts among its member states for stability and development," Xi said.

" SCO has set a fine example of a new of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and proved itself an important and constructive force in Eurasian region and in international affairs," he said.

"China applauds Uzbekistan for its efforts. I am confident that with joint efforts of all sides, Samarkand Summit will produce fruitful outcomes and make a greater contribution to building an even closer SCO community with a shared future and to peace, stability, development and prosperity of our region," he said.