24th SCO Summit 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan

The 24th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting took place in Astana, Kazakhstan, with notable attendees including Russian President Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, and UN Secretary-General Guterres.

Summit Overview and Attendance

24th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Meeting held on July 4, 2024, in Astana, Kazakhstan
Hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Notable attendees: Russian President Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, UN Secretary-General Guterres
India represented by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, not PM Modi
Belarus admitted as 10th full member of SCO

SCO Member Countries

1. China, 2. India, 3. Kazakhstan, 4. Kyrgyzstan, 5. Russia, 6. Pakistan, 7. Tajikistan, 8. Uzbekistan, 9. Iran, 10. (New Member) - Belarus

Key Discussions and Developments

Focus on reviewing SCO activities over past two decades
Emphasis on multilateral cooperation and regional issues
Indian priorities shaped by PM Modi's 'SECURE' vision (Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty, Environmental protection)
Strong stance against terrorism: Dr. Jaishankar read PM Modi's address calling for decisive action against cross-border terrorism and its financing
Discussion on SCO expansion: Originally 5 members in 2001, now 10 with recent additions of India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus

Future Outlook and SCO Structure

Next summit (25th) to be held in China, which has taken over SCO presidency
Qingdao named SCO's tourism and cultural capital for 2024-2025
SCO focuses on regional security and cooperation
Concerns raised about SCO potentially becoming an anti-Western alliance led by China and Russia
Council of Heads of States is SCO's highest decision-making body, meeting annually
SCO headquarters in Beijing, China
10 permanent members and 2 observer members (Afghanistan and Mongolia)

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