Will work with SCO to free region from terror: PM ahead of summit
Ahead of a diplomatic visit covering Uzbekistan and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan, the Union government outlined India's approach of working with SCO members to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism in the region.
The itinerary included bilateral engagement in Tashkent focused on trade, investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy cooperation, followed by participation in the SCO summit proceedings in Bishkek.
India's stated regional vision was framed around three pillars: security, connectivity and opportunity.
The visit also included bilateral talks with the Kyrgyz leadership on expanding cooperation.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental political, economic and security organisation formally established on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, evolving out of the "Shanghai Five" grouping (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) formed in 1996. It is one of the largest regional organisations by population and landmass, and functions on the basis of the "Shanghai Spirit" — mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, and respect for civilizational diversity.
Key Details
- Headquarters (Secretariat): Beijing, China.
- India became a full member on 9 June 2017 at the Astana Summit, after holding Observer status since 2005; Pakistan joined as a full member the same year.
- Current full members (as of 2024): China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus.
- Key organs include the Council of Heads of State (apex decision-making body) and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The summit and pre-summit statements on counter-terrorism cooperation directly engage the SCO's founding counter-terrorism mandate, exercised institutionally through RATS.
Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)
RATS is a permanent SCO body based in Tashkent that coordinates intelligence-sharing and joint action among member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism — described in SCO parlance as the "three evils." It is the organisation's principal operational counter-terrorism mechanism, distinct from the political Secretariat in Beijing.
Key Details
- Established alongside the SCO's foundational treaty framework in the early 2000s.
- India participates in RATS as a full member since 2017, including joint counter-terrorism exercises under the SCO framework (e.g., "Peaceful Mission").
Calls to "free the region from terror" made ahead of the summit are operationalised through RATS-level cooperation among member states, making this the institutional mechanism examiners would expect students to identify.
India's Central Asia Policy
India's outreach to Central Asian republics (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) is anchored in the "Connect Central Asia" policy (announced 2012) and reinforced through the India-Central Asia Summit format (first held virtually in January 2022), alongside SCO engagement. Central Asia is significant for India due to energy resources, counter-terrorism cooperation, and its position on connectivity corridors such as INSTC and Chabahar.
Key Details
- India-Central Asia Dialogue is held at the level of External Affairs Ministers.
- Key thematic pillars: security, connectivity, trade and people-to-people ties.
The bilateral leg of the visit to Uzbekistan on trade, connectivity, defence and energy cooperation fits within this broader Central Asia policy architecture, separate from the multilateral SCO summit engagement.
- SCO founded: 15 June 2001, Shanghai.
- India: full SCO member since 9 June 2017 (Astana Summit); Observer status held since 2005.
- SCO Secretariat: Beijing; RATS: Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
- Full SCO membership: 10 countries (as of 2024), including India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran and Belarus.
- 2026 visit sequence: bilateral leg in Uzbekistan followed by the SCO summit hosted in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.