PM Modi Opts Out: Jaishankar To Lead Indian Team At SCO Summit In Kazakhstan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided not to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kazakhstan next month, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar leading the Indian delegation instead. The summit, scheduled for July 3-4 in Astana, will see India represented by Jaishankar, as confirmed by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a recent briefing. While the reasons for Modi’s absence were not officially stated, factors such as his commitments to the ongoing parliamentary session and strained relations with China are believed to have influenced the decision.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan discussed these developments with PM Modi during a recent phone call, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Modi expressed India’s support for the summit’s success, despite not attending. Had he gone, Modi would have encountered Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan’s President Shehbaz Sharif in Astana.

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation comprises nine member states: India, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Modi had previously attended five SCO summits before the Covid-19 pandemic, participating virtually in 2021 and traveling to Uzbekistan in 2022. India hosted last year’s SCO Summit, which was held virtually due to concerns over the travel plans of the Chinese and Russian presidents.