EAM S Jaishankar hails SCO's efforts to boost tourism within member states

After India hosted its first meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter and hailed SCO’s efforts to promote tourism amongst member states. The grouping's Secretary-General, Vladimir Norov arrived in India on Sunday on a four-day trip. The group included ‘Statue of Unity’ in its list of ‘Eight Wonders of SCO’. 

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Norov made an announcement on the sidelines of an event in India. Earlier, he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on a range of issues. Usually, the heads of government meeting of the SCO is represented by foreign ministers while a number of countries send their prime ministers also. 

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SCO on India’s participation 

According to Norov, all member countries are very glad that India is hosting the SCO heads of government meeting later this year. India is an important country in the region and has huge potential for fueling economic growth in the region, Norov said. India became a full member of the China-dominated grouping in 2017. 

As per reports, India's entry into SCO increased the country’s responsibilities in regional geopolitics, besides giving it a pan-Asian hue. India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS). These organisations specifically deal with issues relating to security and defence. 

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PM on SCO 

As per reports, the Prime Minister has stated that he is looking forward to participating in the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS countries in Russia this year. He has also welcomed President Putin in India for the 21st bilateral Annual Summit. Before 2017, India was an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. 

(Image Source: @DrSJaishankar)

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