EAM Jaishankar to visit Tajikistan on July 13, 14 to participate in SCO FMs meet

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Tajikistan from July 13 to 14 at the invitation of Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin to participate in the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers, said Ministry of External Affairs on Monday, July 12. In a statement, MEA further said that the meeting will not only discuss the achievements of the organisation but it would also celebrate the 20th anniversary of its formation this year. The meeting would assess the preparation for the upcoming SCO Council of Heads of States scheduled on September 16 and September 17 in Dushanbe. 

MEA said in a statement, “External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will visit Tajikistan on 13-14 July at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin to take part in the meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers.”

“The meeting will discuss the achievements of the organisation as it celebrates the 20th anniversary of its formation this yr. It'll also assess preparation for upcoming SCO Council of Heads of States on 16-17 September 2021 in Dushanbe & exchange views on current international & regional issues,” it added.

“External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will also participate in the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan that will meet on 14 July 2021 with the participation of the Afghanistan Government,” MEA also said. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council or SCO is seen as a  counterweight to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). SCO is an eight0member economic and security bloc that has now developed as one of the largest transregional international organisations. India became its permanent member in 2017 after SCO was formed at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

EAM Jaishankar visited Tajikistan on March 31

Jaishankar’s latest visit to Tajikistan comes after his first bilateral official visit to Tajikistan as Foreign Minister on March 31 this year when he met with Sirojiddin and Afghan counterpart Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon among other officials. In a statement at the time Jaishankar said, “Sirojiddin and I shared a common view that while our bilateral strategic relations have grown and expanded over the years, there is potential for further strengthening our economic cooperation. We would encourage the business community, the Chambers and trade bodies on both sides to engage more intensively with each other while the governments will continue to play a facilitating role.”

IMAGE: AP