SCO AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO INDIA – INTERNATIONAL
News: India to host SCO Defence
Ministers meeting this week
What's in the news?
● India
currently holds the Presidency for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and
hosted the Defence Ministers Meeting in New Delhi on April 28th 2023.
Key takeaways:
● The
Defence Ministers will discuss amongst other matters concerning regional peace
and security, counter-terrorism efforts within the SCO and an effective
multilateralism.
SCO:
● Shanghai
Cooperation Organization is a Eurasian
political, economic and security organization.
● SCO
grew out of Shanghai Five founded in
1996 with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as its original
members.
● Currently
it has eight members, including
China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan
with Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia as observers.
Significance:
1. Economic:
● The
eight member countries of SCO represent around 40% of the world population and nearly one fifth of the global GDP.
2. Security:
● RATS
provides a platform for sharing intelligence, conducting joint exercises and
operations, and coordinating actions to prevent and combat terrorism in the
region.
● Acknowledging
the strategic importance of the region and SCO, the Indian Prime Minister had
articulated the foundational dimension of Eurasia as being ‘SECURE’.
3. Cultural:
● SCO
member countries have decided to designate one city (from SCO member countries)
as tourism and cultural capital
every year under a rotating initiative.
● “Kashi”
(Varanasi) has been designated as the first cultural capital of the SCO under
this initiative.
4. Energy Security:
● Central Asia
has vast reserves of oil and gas, and India is looking to tap into these
resources to enhance its energy security.
SCO’s Significance for India:
● The
SCO’s significance for India lies in economics and geopolitics with the
Eurasian states.
● SCO
is a potential platform to advance India’s
Connect Central Asia policy.
● The
SCO member states occupy the huge landmass adjacent to India’s extended neighbourhood where India has both economic and
security imperatives.
● Importance
of SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group to
stabilize Afghanistan and advance Inida’s security interest.
● The
SCO provides the only multilateral platform for India to deal in close
proximity with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Challenges for India:
1. Central Asia connectivity:
● The
lack of direct land connectivity to
Afghanistan and beyond by Pakistan has dampened the development of energy ties
between the hydrocarbon-rich region and India.
2. Russia-China:
● Russia
and China are growing closer, and India has been promoting better relations
with the US.
3. Belt and Road Initiative:
● While
India has made its opposition to BRI clear, all other SCO members have embraced
the Chinese project.
4.
India-Pakistan:
● SCO
members have, in the past, expressed fears of the organization being held
hostage to India’s and Pakistan’s adverse relationship.
5. Trade:
● India’s
bilateral trade with Central Asia and Russia is very low compared to China’s
trade with Russia and Central Asia.
WAY FORWARD:
● India
needs to improve connectivity with Central Asia through the Chabahar port and
focus on the International North-South
Corridor (INSTC).
● India and China
must co-exist peacefully and engage through dialogues.
● The
Eurasian strategy should be envisioned to serve
India’s regional interests to ensure nation-building through development
partnerships, maintaining sovereignty, and preventing the region from terrorism
and extremism.
● Increase cooperation
between SCO and other multilateral organizations.
● Strengthen
the fight against terrorism, extremism,
drug trafficking and organized crime among others.
● Increasing
awareness of our shared cultures can help boost tourism.