On 13 January 2020 SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov met with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi as part of his visit to India.
During the meeting, the officials exchanged views and discussed topical issues on the SCO agenda, including preparations for the SCO summit in St Petersburg next July and the SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC) meeting in India next autumn, as well as other events during India's SCO presidency.
Mr Norov praised Delhi's contribution to SCO cooperation. He noted that India's active cooperation with SCO member countries has noticeably strengthened the organisation and substantially increased its potential. "India's joining the SCO as a full member has opened entirely new opportunities for the further development and deepening of full-scale cooperation. It enhanced the role of the organisation as an important mechanism for forming regional and global policy and ensuring its security and sustainable development," he emphasised.
Mr Jaishankar assured Mr Norov of India's intention to play an active part in the work of all SCO mechanisms and take concrete action to promote the organisation's development and prosperity. He said India enthusiastically welcomes the SCO's broad and intensive agenda and described its development as highly dynamic.
The officials exchanged views on the further consolidation of SCO cooperation in ensuring regional stability and security, promoting trade and economic ties, introducing digitisation and e-trade, and developing transport links and tourism.
Speaking about settlement in Afghanistan, the officials noted the importance of joint efforts by the SCO member states in establishing inter-Afghan dialogue and restoring the Afghan economy. They emphasised the need to step up the work of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group.
Mr Jaishankar and Mr Norov also discussed the SCO's international cooperation, focusing on the need to further enhance its ties with the United Nations, its specialised agencies and ASEAN.