The Democracy News | Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s complete support for the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana during his discussion with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Modi thanked Tokayev for his warm wishes on India's recent elections and reaffirmed the dedication to strengthening the Strategic Partnership with Kazakhstan. While there is no official confirmation of Modi's attendance at the summit, diplomatic sources suggest that he will not be present, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar likely to represent India instead.
The SCO, consisting of India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, serves as a significant economic and security alliance and stands as one of the largest transregional international organizations.
Officials noted that it was President Tokayev who initiated the call to Prime Minister Modi. A statement released following the conversation stated that Tokayev warmly praised Modi for the successful parliamentary elections and his re-election as Prime Minister for a third consecutive term.
Modi, in turn, expressed gratitude for the warm congratulations and both leaders reiterated their commitment to further enhancing bilateral strategic cooperation.
The official statement also mentioned Modi's assurance of India’s steadfast support for the success of the upcoming SCO summit in Astana. It highlighted Modi's confidence in Kazakhstan's leadership playing a crucial role in advancing regional cooperation. As the current chair of the grouping, Kazakhstan is set to host the summit, following India's chairmanship of the SCO last year when the summit was conducted virtually in July.
