India at SCO Summit

What is the issue?

India is to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit as a full member.
The summit gives India an opportunity to showcase the kind of power it wants to be.

What are the recent geopolitical developments?

Both India and Pakistan were admitted to the grouping last year.
This was finalised at its summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
From then, world politics has undergone several tectonic shifts.
The US has pulled out of the nuclear deal (or JCPOA) between the P-5+1 and Iran.
US President and North Korean leader are scheduled to meet in Singapore.
After the Doklam standoff, India and China have attempted to reset relations.
An informal summit was arranged between Indian PM and Chinese President at Wuhan.
The US has imposed sanctions on Russia under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
This notably affects Indian defence purchases from its strongest defence partner.
The chemical attack in Salisbury has sharply escalated Russian-western tensions.
It led to London and Moscow expelling each other’s diplomats.
The US has delivered a public rebuke to Pakistan for not cracking down on terrorists.
It also suspended military assistance to Pakistan.
Indian PM has made historic separate visits to Israel and Palestine, completing their de-hyphenation.
The India-US-Japan-Australia quadrilateral has been revived.
This is particularly against the backdrop of Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

What is the significance of the SCO summit?

India has challenges to address and opportunities to harvest in the SCO summit.
Pakistan - The summit provides an opportunity for the Indian and Pakistani leaders.
They could meet informally on the sidelines of a multilateral event.
The two sides are obliged to cooperate on issues of mutual interest without bringing in their bilateral disputes.
Signing off on joint counter-terrorism exercises will be a new form of engagement between the two militaries.
China - After the Wuhan meet, the SCO summit will provide another opportunity for cooperation.
Russia - Russia has been India’s staunchest supporter in the SCO.
It has lobbied hard with Beijing for years to ensure India's entry into the grouping.
India is clear that its relationship with Moscow would not be impacted by the West’s approach towards it.
Iran - Iran is an observer state that has applied for full SCO membership.
India has a powerful strategic interest in Iran’s Chabahar port.
The US administration is hostile to Iran.
But India has been seeking to signal to US, the alignment of interests in Chabahar.

What lies ahead?

SCO’s main objective is working cooperatively against terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
This notably coordinates well with India's interests as well.
The SCO summit thus gives India an opportunity to showcase the kind of power it wants to be.

Source: Indian Express