SAMARKAND: The SCO heads of state summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan takes place at a time of enormous geo-political contestation. The Ukraine war, its economic impact and China’s seeming inexorable rise has severely tested the international order and long standing relationships are being questioned.
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In this chat on The Gist, Prof. Ulugh Beg of the University of World Economy & Diplomacy, believes the SCO has the inherent strength to meet these challenges including basic ones like regional connectivity. He argues that while bilateral relations among some SCO member states may be tense, there is a broad commitment to the goal of finding common solutions to their region’s problems.
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Prof. Beg believes India has a major role to play in the SCO given its regional power status and the resources it is able to commit in times of difficulty, such as during the Covid pandemic. He says India remains committed to continuing its humanitarian assistance mission in Afghanistan, which is crucial if the Taliban is to moderate its policies in the long term.
