India will host the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations in Goa from Thursday. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are among those set to attend the meeting that will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Bilawal Bhutto will arrive in Goa at around 5 pm on Thursday and attend the conclave. However, it is not clear if he would attend the Gala Dinner hosted by External Affairs Minister Jaishankar at a Goa Beach.
The foreign ministers and heads of delegation will arrive in Goa from Thursday onwards while the meeting of the council of foreign ministers will be held at 10:15 am.
The overall situation in Afghanistan including apprehensions that the country may turn into a breeding ground for terrorism under the Taliban rule as well as the fast-evolving regional security situation are expected to figure prominently during the deliberations.
However, the spotlight is expected to be also on whether there will be a bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Bhutto-Zardari on the sidelines of the SCO conclave.
Bhutto’s visit will be the first such visit from Islamabad since 2011. The then Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar had visited India that year. Khar is currently serving as the minister of state for foreign affairs.
India is emerging as a key player among the SCO countries though China and Russia are seen as the major drivers of the grouping that is increasingly seen as an “alternative” to NATO.
India is hosting the SCO conclave when its ties with China are under severe strain in view of the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh.
On the sideline of the conclave, Jaishankar is expected to hold separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and a few other member nations, people familiar with the matter said.
While the visiting dignitaries will be welcomed at a gala reception on May 4, the crucial deliberations on various key challenges facing the member nations of the grouping will be held on May 5, people familiar with the matter said.
India hosted the SCO defence ministerial meeting last week. The defence ministers of all the member nations of the grouping except Pakistan travelled to New Delhi and attended the meeting.
Special Assistant to Pakistan prime minister on defence affairs Malik Ahmed Khan joined the deliberations virtually.
(With Inputs from Shailendra Wangu)
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