In association with Ministry of External Affairs of India, Indian Council of World Affairs, Sapru House, New Delhi, organized a two-day International Conference on Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Reconnect ~ Rejuvenate, on 23-24 March 2023 at New Delhi. The Conference was held to commemorate India’s chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The event was held in hybrid format and attended by experts from academia, think tanks and Heads of Mission/Diplomats of SCO Member, Observer and Dialogue Partner countries as well as the SCO Secretariat. Representatives of India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Iran, Mongolia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, UAE, Sri Lanka (22 countries) participated in the SCO Conference. The Conference, apart from the Plenary and Concluding sessions, had four working sessions.
2. In the Plenary Session Ambassador Vijay Thakur Singh, Director General, ICWA, made the Welcome Remarks; the Keynote Address was delivered by Ambassador Dammu Ravi, Secretary [Economic Relations], Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; Special Address was made by Ambassador Grigory Logvinov, Deputy Secretary General, SCO. It was noted that SCO has grown organically from within the region and pursues its policies by consensus among its members. The objectives of SCO, which include to strengthen mutual trust, friendship, and good-neighbourliness between the member states, were reaffirmed. It was noted that the world has entered a phase of global transformation, in which a new multi-polar world order is taking shape. Given the geopolitical shifts underway, SCO can provide a platform for enhanced understanding, sharing of experiences and knowledge, and multifaceted dialogue. India’s view that ‘world is one family’ or Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam characterises its approach to its SCO chairmanship. India’s efforts have been to engage with Observers and Dialogue Partners in a substantive and meaningful manner.
3. The first working session of the Conference “Reconnect and Lead: SCO’s Role in Enhanced Integration” was Chaired by Amb. Ashok Sajjanhar, former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, and panel members were Mr. Zhumabek Sarabekov, Expert and Head of the Eurasian Studies Program of the Institute of World Economy and Politics under N. Nazarbayev Foundation, Astana, Kazakhstan; Dr. Gohar Iskandaryan, Head, Department of Iranian Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Science, Armenia; Mr. Lim Menghour, Director, Mekong Centre, Asian Vision Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Dr. Ahmed Kandil, Head of the International Affairs Unit, and Head of Energy Studies Programme, al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, Cairo, Egypt; and Mr. Khin Maung Zaw, Joint Secretary, Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Yangon, Myanmar. The session primarily discussed the integrative issues pertaining to SCO in the backdrop of regional and global developments. The centrality of Central Asia in SCO was underlined. It was noted that peace, tranquillity and stability in the region is a prerequisite for SCO’s success though the Eurasian countries are facing security challenges in a fast changing world. The scourge of terrorism effects peace and stability in all SCO countries and there is a need to collectively address this menace with full force. Radicalism, drug trafficking, misuse of cyberspace are other problems faced by SCO.
4. The second working session of the Conference was titled “Reconnect for Stability: Ensuring Secure re-Emergence of Eurasia” and it was chaired by Amb. Pankaj Saran, former Deputy National Security Advisor & former Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation. The panellists of the session were Mr. Deng Hao Secretary General of China Center for SCO studies; Senior Research Fellow of SIIS, and Executive Editor of SCO Blue Book, China, (online); Dr. Saidmurodov Lyutfillo, Director, Department of Comparative Economic Research, Institute of Economics and Demography, National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan; Dr. Oleg S. Makarov, Director, Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research, Minsk; Belarus, Amb. Jasem Ibrahem Alnajem, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to India, New Delhi; Prof. Alexander Lukin, Head of Department of International Relations, National Research University, Higher School of Economics; Director, Center for East Asian and SCO Studies, MGIMO University, Russia. This session noted that the global economic focus is shifting eastwards, and India and China are two engines of growth in Eurasia. Economic cooperation within SCO needed to be strengthened through enhanced project implementation. Instability in Afghanistan affects the SCO countries in multiple ways. Countries in the region need to work together to help Afghan people achieve their basic needs and fulfil their aspirations. Regional countries should continue efforts in providing aid and humanitarian relief for the Afghan people. There were discussions on climate change and it was suggested that climate action should be part of the discussions within SCO.
5. The penultimate session “Reconnect, Synchronise, Grow: Quest for Enhanced Connectivity,” was chaired by Amb. D. B. Venkatesh Varma, former Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation. The session had the following panel members: Mr. Batyr Tursanov, Deputy Director, International Institute of Central Asia, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Mr. Naghi Ahmadov, Leading Advisor, The Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), Baku, Azerbaijan; Dr. Mr. Sodikov Metarkhon, Associate Professor, Department of World Economy and International Trade, Tajik State University of Finance and Economics under the Ministry of Finance of Tajikistan; Ms. Yasoja Gunasekera, Additional Secretary/ Bilateral Affairs (East) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombo, Sri Lanka; Dr. D. Suba Chandran, Professor & Dean, School of Conflict and Security Studies; NIAS, Bangalore, India; Dr. Ebtesam Alteneiji, Director of Community Services Sector, Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, UAE. The significance of connectivity in all its aspects were discussed. The importance of enhanced connectivity within SCO was reiterated, given that many SCO countries are landlocked. Efforts need to be enhanced to improve the Central Asian region’s connectivity with different regions, including South Asia, through multiple initiatives such as the INSTC and the use of the Chabahar port.
6. The fourth and last working session of the conference was titled “Reconnecting the People: Invigorating Hearts & Minds”. The session was chaired by Amb. Ajay Bisaria, former High Commissioner of India to Pakistan and the speakers of the panel were: Mr. Asif Khan, Counselor, High Commission for Pakistan in India, New Delhi; Ms. Altynai Kanatbekovna Aliiaskarova, National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Ms. Soyolgerel Nyamjav, Head of the International Security Center and Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Strategic Studies, Mongolia; Dr. Aly Shameem, Assistant Professor, Maldives National University, Male, Maldives; Amb. Abdulrahman AlGaoud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain, New Delhi, Bahrain. It was emphasised that SCO has rich cultural heritage and countries are connected to each other through their common history, traditions and culture. It was observed that an inter-civilizational dialogue among SCO member states is required, and that the revitalization of historically shared experiences, including of Buddhism and Sufism, can create greater understanding among SCO members. Given that youth are the carriers of future innovation, the need for greater youth engagement in cultural events was emphasized.
7. In her Concluding address Amb. Vijay Thakur Singh, DG, ICWA, underlined that there is a willingness in SCO to collaborate on security, economy and civilisational and cultural ties. Terrorism, cross border crime, money laundering, cyber threats and the situation in Afghanistan are among immediate challenges before the SCO. Economic integration is a key aspect for the SCO for the future and role of connectivity of rail, road, air, digital and people to people, is critical in achieving this objective.
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