Rajnath Singh to represent India at SCO Council of Heads of Govt meet in Tajikistan

New Delhi, October 18 (IANS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Tajikistan's Dushanbe to represent India at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is set to be held on October 19-20.The meeting will focus on strengthening multilateral cooperation among SCO member states, especially in the areas of trade, economy, investment, connectivity, innovation and cultural-humanitarian exchanges.The meeting is also expected to review the progress of ongoing cooperation initiatives and consider decisions relating to the Organisation's financial and institutional functioning, according to the Ministry of Defence statement."India remains actively engaged in various SCO mechanisms and continues to contribute to regional cooperation through initiatives in areas such as start-ups and innovation, digital public infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges. The meeting will provide an opportunity for India to exchange views with other SCO Member States on advancing practical and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organisation," the Ministry of Defence mentioned in a statement.The previous CHG meeting was held in Russia's Moscow on November 18 last year, where External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar represented India.The SCO comprises 10 member states -- India, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has two observer states - Afghanistan and Mongolia and 15 dialogue partners - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka.In September, India highlighted the three pillars of 'Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity' for international trade at the 25th meeting of Ministers of the SCO Member States Responsible for Foreign Economic and Trade Activities held in Tajikistan's Dushanbe, according to an official statement.The meeting reviewed ongoing cooperation among SCO member states in the areas of economic and trade activities and exchanged views on measures to further deepen trade and economic cooperation within the SCO framework.In his intervention on behalf of India, Additional Secretary, Commerce, Yashvir Singh underscored the significant economic potential of the SCO and the importance of translating this potential into tangible outcomes through increased intra-SCO trade, lower trade costs, resilient supply chains, and enhanced connectivity.Referring to the vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SCO Summit in Bishkek, India highlighted the three pillars of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, underscoring their economic significance, particularly in strengthening supply-chain resilience, developing efficient and trusted connectivity, and expanding opportunities for businesses through greater market access.India also emphasised the important role of trade facilitation and digitalisation in reducing the cost and time associated with trade. In this context, it stressed the need for simplified customs procedures, paperless trade and electronic exchange of documents, alongside stronger multimodal connectivity and reduced transit times.It also called for greater cooperation among SCO Member States to diversify and strengthen supply chains in strategic and emerging sectors, including agriculture, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and electronics. The potential for enhanced cooperation in energy security, renewable energy, and green hydrogen was also emphasised.