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Last updated: May 03, 2023, at 15:35 IST
Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on January 30, 2023 (AFP)
It is expected that the spotlight will also be on whether there will be a bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Bhutto Zardari on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting.
India will host the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries in Goa from Thursday. Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Gang, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Pakistani Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are scheduled to attend the meeting, which will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Bilawal Bhutto will arrive in Goa around 5pm on Thursday and attend the conclave. However, it is not clear if he will attend the gala dinner hosted by External Affairs Minister Jaishankar at Goa beach.
Foreign ministers and heads of delegations will arrive in Goa from Thursday while the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers will be held at 10:15 am.
The overall situation in Afghanistan, including concerns that the country could turn into a breeding ground for terrorism under Taliban rule as well as the rapidly evolving regional security situation, is expected to feature prominently during the deliberations.
However, the spotlight is also expected to be on whether there will be a bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Bhutto-Zardari on the sidelines of the SCO meeting.
Bhutto’s visit will be the first of its kind from Islamabad since 2011. Then-Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India that year. Khar is currently the Minister of State for External Affairs.
India is emerging as a major player among the SCO countries, despite China and Russia being the main drivers of the grouping, which is increasingly seen as an “alternative” to NATO.
India is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Security Council meeting when its relations with China come under severe strain due to the ongoing border dispute in eastern Ladakh.
On the sidelines of the secret meeting, Jaishankar is expected to hold separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and a few other member states, people familiar with the matter said.
While visiting dignitaries will be welcomed at a reception on May 4, crucial deliberations on various major challenges facing the member states of the assembly will take place on May 5, people familiar with the matter said.
India hosted the defense ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last week. The defense ministers of all the member states of the assembly except Pakistan traveled to New Delhi and attended the meeting.
The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Defense Affairs, Malik Ahmed Khan, joined the deliberations virtually.
(With input from Shailendra Wangu)
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