ET Analysis: SCO striking right balance to keep focus on agenda
NEW DELHI: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a group of eight countries including India, took incremental steps at its 18th summit over the weekend towards wider economic engagements and security cooperation, even as the G7, the world’s most powerful economic bloc, was at the same time embroiled in a spat between the United States and its closest allies that threatened their decades-old partnership.
While the leaders of the six major global economies could not reconcile their differences over moves made by the Trump administration, the SCO showed cohesiveness despite persisting differences between member states India and Pakistan, and India and China. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over connectivity projects that violate sovereignty of another country and India did not endorse China’s Belt and Road Initiative or BRI in the final communique, the outcome of the summit was not marked by acrimony. Rather India and China carried forward the spirit of the recent summit at Wuhan between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and leaders of India and Pakistan exchanged pleasantries.
The SCO summit raised hopes of greater cooperation in the Eurasian region, with some of the member states potentially reconciling their differences, which may result in smoother physical connectivity and trade. The summit was utilised by key member states China and Russia to boost Iran’s morale following the US move to pull out from the nuclear deal.
While the leaders of the six major global economies could not reconcile their differences over moves made by the Trump administration, the SCO showed cohesiveness despite persisting differences between member states India and Pakistan, and India and China. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over connectivity projects that violate sovereignty of another country and India did not endorse China’s Belt and Road Initiative or BRI in the final communique, the outcome of the summit was not marked by acrimony. Rather India and China carried forward the spirit of the recent summit at Wuhan between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and leaders of India and Pakistan exchanged pleasantries.
The SCO summit raised hopes of greater cooperation in the Eurasian region, with some of the member states potentially reconciling their differences, which may result in smoother physical connectivity and trade. The summit was utilised by key member states China and Russia to boost Iran’s morale following the US move to pull out from the nuclear deal.