On 29 July 2022, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, who was in Tashkent to participate in the meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, met with Foreign Minister of the Republic of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The Minister congratulated Zhang Ming on taking office and reaffirmed that India would always support the activities of the SCO Secretariat and its leadership, and expressed hope that the SCO Secretary-General would visit New Delhi as soon as possible. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stressed that India attached great importance to the SCO’s role in the world today. In the context of India's upcoming presidency in the Organisation, he stressed India’s intention to consistently promote cooperation within the SCO in such areas as digitalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship, cultural exchanges, work with young people, and traditional medicine. Today the SCO member states are facing serious political and economic problems, which requires close cooperation, mutual support through the implementation of joint economic and other projects and joint efforts to ensure regional security and strengthen the consolidation of the SCO member states.
Secretary-General Zhang Ming thanked the Indian Foreign Minister for his confidence and support. He noted India’s important contribution in preserving peace and security in the region. Today drastic changes are taking place in international affairs, and the SCO member states hope sincerely for strengthening cooperation in the spheres of key importance such as politics, security, the economy, and cultural ties. Since India joined the SCO, it has actively assisted in promoting comprehensive cooperation among the SCO states and played a significant role in developing cultural contacts, cooperation in traditional medicine, education, tourism, innovation, and entrepreneurship. When India takes over the SCO presidency, the Secretariat is ready to provide comprehensive support to India’s initiatives.
During the meeting, there was also an in-depth discussion of the preparations for the SCO Heads of State Council meeting in Samarkand, the developments in the region and around the world, and improvement of the SCO and its working mechanisms.