Different options regarding the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit are being worked out, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
Under India’s first-ever Chairmanship, the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in the virtual format on 4 July 2023, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Various options are being worked out for the participation of the president of Russia in the work of this important format. In any case, Russia will be represented at the proper level," Peskov told reporters.
The upcoming summit will be the culmination of India’s chairmanship, which the country assumed on 12 September 2022, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said.
All members of the SCO, namely China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are expected to attend the summit. Besides, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia were invited as observers, and Turkmenistan was invited as the chair’s guest in accordance with the SCO tradition.
The head of the SCO Secretariat and the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure will also attend the top-level event. Additionally, heads of six international organizations, including the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were invited to the event.
The summit will be held under the title "Towards a SECURE SCO," the statement read. The word "SECURE" is also an acronym that stands for "Security, Economy and trade; Connectivity, Unity; Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; and Environment." The acronym was proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2018 SCO leaders summit.
"India has set up new pillars of cooperation under its Chairmanship - Startups and Innovation; Traditional Medicine; Digital Inclusion; Youth Empowerment; and Shared Buddhist Heritage," the Indian MEA said.
India’s chairmanship of the SCO is marked by intense mutually beneficial cooperation, according to the statement. Since September, India has hosted 134 SCO events, including 14 meetings at the ministerial level.