Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar will travel to Islamabad to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit on October 15 and 16, the Ministry of External Affairs announced.
Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar represents PM Modi In SCO Summit 2024
Indian foreign minister Jaishankar will replace Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in SCO Summit 2024 who cannot attend this event due to currently heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region’s concerns and issues associated with terrorism.
This is quite important in that regard because it happens to be the first instance when such a high-ranking official from India has visited this country after nearly ten years.
History of India-Pakistan Relations
According to reports, the last visit occurred in December 2015, when an Indian minister reportedly visited. The then Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj was present at the meeting. The circumstances of India and Pakistan only went haywire ever since, and even after several significant events in 2019 that sharply spiked the tensions between both countries, it remained the same. Abrogation of Article 370 and its aftermath in the form of military standoffs on both sides increases mistrust only, making diplomacy tricky.
Pakistan’s Openness to Engagement
Under such highly charged relations, Pakistan has demonstrated some interest to engage diplomatically. The country recently opened the Kartarpur Corridor, allowing Indian pilgrims to visit a critical gurdwara. Jaishankar recently bashed Pakistan at the United Nations, saying that it harbored terrorism and should also be made answerable for what was happening in the country. This tension reflects the complexity that comes with the dialogue in a charged geopolitical situation.
SCO Role for India
Indian participation in SCO is crucial for regional security concerns and in tackling the rapidly growing influence of the Chinese. Other leaders from the member states will probably meet and share new viewpoints on matters. India looks to enhance bonding with states while promoting its notion of security and stability at the regional level.
Islamabad: More Security
Given the SCO summit, the Pakistani government has resolved to push force on the streets of Islamabad. This is because there is a will to sustain law and order, which more than anything else, is on the brink of being obliterated because of rampant political issues. More security proves that Pakistan takes this summit seriously, especially when there is tension in its region.
Ending of the SCO Summit Affects
A few days after the SCO summit, the US will be placed in the grave by Dwight D. Eisenhower: the last joint Congress for John F. Kennedy, his successor.
The SCO summit could become a potential avenue via bilateral backchannel discussions, to ease some of the tensions between both parties. There are tremendous challenges against both parties, yet they share some common interests in countering the regional security threats posed by terrorism and economic instability. The summit may provide an opportunity to discuss the bilateral cooperative mechanisms, which may even find ways of redressing the problems even in light of continued distrust.
Economic and Trade Considerations
This SCO summit would also open an avenue to discuss economic cooperation among member states. The Indian and Pakistani economies require economic stability in the region, all the more so as these two states have recently undergone about of inflation and economic recovery post-pandemic. Cumulative efforts in the areas of trade and investments can improve the state of stability and create a forum for dialogue beyond security concerns.
FAQs
1. What is SCO Summit?
The SCO summit is a bilateral meeting of all the heads of the member countries to discuss regional cooperation and security concerns.
2. Why is PM Modi not attending?
He has refused to attend due to some controversies between Pakistan and India regarding Kashmir and terrorism-related issues.
3. When was the last visit by an Indian minister to Pakistan?
It was in December 2015 by then Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.
4. Why Islamabad is being dragged with more security?
Increased security is being made so that the public is not exposed to chaos and unrest during the SCO summit.
5. What Indian Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar has said about Pakistan?
Jaishankar has raised some flags against Pakistan by pointing out how it was supporting terrorism and the result of it all.
Conclusion
The visit of Jaishankar to Pakistan has marked a landmark in the history of India-Pak relations. While most of the issues still remain, the SCO summit is an opportunity to have possible dialogue and cooperation. The Pakistani government also arranged extreme security measures to ensure the event was protected; this event is taking very significant importance in the regional geopolitics context. During their coming together, economic ties won’t only focus on security, but more so means two nations benefitting mutually in the long run. Even the results of such talks may determine the future course of action by both nations, and hence positive involvement is required.
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