External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Islamabad. Jaishankar posted on X on Tuesday night, expressing his pleasure in discussing ways to further strengthen India-Mongolia bilateral relations.
Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar landed in Islamabad to attend the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where he was warmly received at Nur Khan Airbase by Ilyas Mehmood Nizami, Director General (South Asia) of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two-day meeting of SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, will be chaired by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the current chair of the Council.
Pakistan had assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 at the previous meeting held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023, where the country was represented by then interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.
The 23rd SCO CHG is all set to kick off today (Wednesday) in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, with top-notch security measures in place. The Ministry of External Affairs said that the meeting will focus on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation.
India’s participation in the SCO Summit reflects its commitment to regional cooperation and multilateral diplomacy. EAM Jaishankar emphasised that his visit was centred on India’s active involvement in the SCO and was not aimed at addressing bilateral India-Pakistan relations. This engagement showcases India’s role in promoting stability and prosperity in the region through multilateral dialogue.
The SCO, established in 2001, aims to promote political, economic, and security cooperation in the region. The SCO comprises Pakistan, China, India, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus – with 16 more countries affiliated as observers.
India and Mongolia share a deep historical connection, having interacted over 2,000 years. Formal diplomatic relations were established between the two nations on December 24, 1955. India was the first country outside the Socialist bloc to recognise Mongolia’s sovereignty, and both nations have continued to strengthen ties over the decades.
The two countries elevated their partnership to a strategic level during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mongolia in 2015, recognising the need for enhanced collaboration in political, economic, and cultural areas.
The Indian community in Mongolia is small, comprising roughly 200 people. Many Indians in Mongolia are involved in the organised sector or are self-employed, including running popular Indian restaurants. (ANI)
