Annual SCO summit to be held under chairmanship of Russia

Context

• The 20^th Summit, of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, was held in a virtual meeting in the backdrop of major regional and global developments.

Highlights of the Summit

• This was the first SCO Summit held in Virtual Format and third meeting that India participated after becoming a full member in 2017.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

• SCO is a 8 member body and members include- Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, four Observer States — Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia.
• It was announced to be created on 15 June 2001 and entered in force in 2003 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

• India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members on 9 June 2017 at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Significance

• The SCO Summit of Heads of State is the main unit of the organisation that sets the agenda and gives political, security, trade, economic and cultural directions.

• The summit is crucial as it provides the Chinese and the Indian leaderships an opportunity to exchange thoughts on regional and global issues even as the border tension in Eastern Ladakh continues.