On 4 February 2025, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev arrived in New Delhi, India, for an official visit.
A meeting was convened with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of India Tanmaya Lal. Mr Lal extended his congratulations to the Secretary-General on his recent appointment and expressed India’s commitment to fully supporting the SCO’s operations. The Deputy Minister outlined New Delhi’s engagement priorities within the Organisation, encompassing areas such as start-up and innovation development, the advancement of digital technologies, traditional medicine, tackling climate change-related issues, and other sectors.
The Secretary-General, in turn, provided an overview of the forthcoming SCO events under China’s current presidency, including preparations for the sessions of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Heads of State. He shared his vision for modernising the Organisation’s activities, highlighting the enhancement of performance, efficiency, and operational responsiveness to significant developments.
The Secretary-General also engaged in discussions with the heads of diplomatic missions of the SCO member states accredited in New Delhi.
A separate meeting was held with Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India Piyush Goyal. The parties exchanged views on trade and economic cooperation within the SCO framework, covering sectors such as agriculture, energy, transport, and industry. The Secretary-General underscored India’s pivotal role as one of the world’s largest and most dynamically developing economies in shaping the SCO’s trade and economic agenda.
Both sides stressed the importance of fostering industrial parks and trade-industrial clusters across the Organisation’s space, alongside intensifying congress and exhibition initiatives. In this context, the Minister noted the upcoming SCO Start-Up Forum, scheduled for April this year in New Delhi.
The necessity of ensuring food security, strengthening transport connectivity, advancing energy collaboration, and stimulating industrial cooperation was emphasised.
The parties also exchanged perspectives on establishing a financial mechanism to support SCO project activities, aimed at achieving tangible outcomes in economic cooperation. They concurred on the need to adopt practical measures to create favourable conditions for developing transport corridors and liberalising the movement of goods, capital, and services within the SCO.