India has participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) first meeting of national coordinators hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad, signalling its continued engagement with the regional grouping despite strained bilateral relations between the two countries.
India’s national coordinator for the SCO, Alok Dimri, attended the three-day meeting on Monday after travelling to Islamabad. Dimri, who serves as additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs’ Department of Multilateral Economic Relations, represented India at the preparatory discussions.
Pakistan assumed the rotating presidency of the Eurasian grouping earlier this month from Kyrgyzstan. The meeting marks the beginning of a series of preparatory engagements that Islamabad will organise ahead of the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit scheduled for August next year.
The discussions are expected to focus on finalising the calendar of events and activities for the coming year under Pakistan’s presidency. The national coordinators’ meeting is among the key arrangements undertaken by the host country to prepare for the annual summit.
India’s participation comes amid continuing tensions with Pakistan, highlighting its decision to remain engaged with multilateral platforms despite bilateral differences. However, there has been no official confirmation regarding whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the upcoming SCO summit in Islamabad.
India’s previous high-level engagement with the SCO in Pakistan took place in October 2024, when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad to attend the Council of Heads of Government meeting. His visit marked the first time an Indian minister had travelled to Pakistan since former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit in 2015.
India’s participation in SCO activities hosted by Pakistan stands in contrast to the prolonged suspension of engagement within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The regional organisation has remained largely inactive for more than a decade amid political tensions between India and Pakistan.
The latest meeting underscores India’s continued participation in SCO mechanisms while bilateral relations with Pakistan remain strained.
