Possible Pakistani Attendance At India-led National Security Advisers' Meeting In Delhi

National Security Advisers (NSAs) and top officials of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states will meet Wednesday (29 March) in Delhi, led by the current SCO chair, India.

Host country's NSA, Ajit Doval, will deliver the opening remarks.

Notably, Pakistan will join the NSA meeting of the SCO in India, as confirmed by a source to ANI.

Pakistan's representatives are expected to be a part of the meeting, but the mode of their participation is still unknown.

Russia is also expected to be there. Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, will join the annual meeting of the secretaries of security councils of SCO member states, as verified by a Russian embassy official to ANI.

The SCO, established in 2001, has eight member states: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

In addition, it has four observer states: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia, and six dialogue partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

The SCO is a regional powerhouse promoting economic, political, and military cooperation among members.

Its eight member nations account for 42 per cent of the world's population and 25 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).

India joined the SCO on 9 June 2017. It now holds the SCO presidency, and expects all member countries, including Pakistan, to attend the events under its chairmanship.

The SCO summit, where heads of state of the member nations are expected to participate, will be held in July.

In the lead-up to the summit, Delhi will host the SCO defence ministers' meet on 27-29 April, and just days later, Goa will play host to the SCO foreign ministers' on 4-5 May.

China's new foreign minister, Qin Gang, has been invited, as also Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.