Rajnath to lead Indian Delegation participating in SCO member states meeting in Aug

New Delhi [India], August 17 (ANI): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, amid the Doklam standoff, will lead the Indian Delegation participating in Seven Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states meeting on Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations that will be held at Choplon Ata in Kyrgyz Republic from 23 to 25 August.

Presently, China is stepping up preparedness for a possible military conflict with India on the Doklam standoff by reportedly setting up blood donation and collection camps in the area.

As Doklam standoff is approaching its second month, China's Foreign Ministry has reiterated that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops would continue to defend Dong Lang, which is Chinese territory, and India should withdraw all its troops and equipment from there, according to Global Times.

The standoff at Doklam began when China started constructing a road in the area. India objected to the road construction after Chinese troops ignored Bhutanese protests, triggering the faceoff from 16 June.

Earlier in July, India attended an SCO meeting in China to enhance anti-terrorism and border control mechanisms among the member nations.

It was the first plenary meeting after India and Pakistan became full members of the China-dominated security grouping, after signing the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries, except for Uzbekistan, had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation. On July 10, 2015, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members. (ANI)

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