SCO Foreign Ministers Meet in China Ahead of August Summit

Beijing, July 14 (PTI) - Foreign Ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will gather in Tianjin, China, on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for the summit of the 10-member bloc, scheduled for the end of August, an official announced on Monday. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterparts from other SCO member countries arrived in Beijing for the event. China, currently holding the rotating chair of the SCO, emphasized that the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting's primary objective is to prepare politically for the upcoming summit, set to occur in Tianjin this autumn. This was conveyed by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a press briefing. At the meeting, the foreign ministers will discuss ways to enhance cooperation across various domains within the SCO and address significant international and regional matters, culminating in the signing of several resolutions and documents. According to Russian news agency Tass, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the summit is slated for August 30 to September 1 in Tianjin. Coinciding with these diplomatic activities, China plans a grand military parade in Beijing on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the broader World Anti-Fascist War. The SCO encompasses ten member states: China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.