India Calls For Boosting Trade, Economic Cooperation Among SCO Members - Foreign Ministry

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published November 30, 2020 | 09:08 PM

India hopes for further boosting trade and strengthening economic relations within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) after the conclusion of its chairmanship, Vikas Swarup, the secretary of the Indian Foreign Ministry, said on Monday after a council meeting between SCO heads of government

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2020) India hopes for further boosting trade and strengthening economic relations within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) after the conclusion of its chairmanship, Vikas Swarup, the secretary of the Indian Foreign Ministry, said on Monday after a council meeting between SCO heads of government.

The annual council meeting was held in an online format due to the coronavirus pandemic and ended in the adoption of a joint communique that calls for the promotion of global economy. The prime ministers of India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the Pakistani parliament's secretary for foreign affairs participated in the meeting, also attended by representatives of SCO observer states.

"With the successful conclusion of its Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, India hopes to further strengthen greater trade, economic and cultural cooperation within SCO by putting human beings at the center of SCO activities and to foster greater peace and prosperity in the region," Swarup said at a briefing.

The Indian diplomat added that New Delhi is committed to strengthening the organization and hopes that India's initiatives will help SCO member states in overcoming coronavirus-fueled economic crisis. India has proposed SCO member states to cooperate in the fields of technology, innovations and traditional medicine during its chairmanship, according to Swarup.

"India considers the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an important regional organization to promote cooperation in the areas of peace, security, trade, economy and culture. We are committed to deepening our cooperation with SCO by playing a proactive, positive and constructive role in the organization," the diplomat said.

Swarup also said that India congratulates and expresses "full support" to Kazakhstan which is set to assume SCO's chairmanship next year.