EAM Jaishankar Meets Kazakhstan's Deputy PM Ahead Of SCO Summit, Discusses Expanding Strategic Partnership

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar met Kazakhstan's Deputy PM Nurtleu in Astana, discussing the expansion of their Strategic Partnership and India's growing engagement with Central Asia.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Nurtleu exchanged views on regional and global issues, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, and SCO cooperation. (Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar)

Astana, Jul 2 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday met Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu here and discussed expanding Strategic Partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats.

Jaishankar, who arrived here earlier in the day to represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on July 4 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to skip it, also exchanged views on regional and global issues with Nurtleu, who also holds the portfolio as Foreign Minister.

"Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazhakstan in Astana today. Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit," Jaishankar posted on X.

"Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and India’s increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues," the minister added.

Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan in Astana today.

Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and India’s increasing engagement with Central Asia in various… pic.twitter.com/0Z6t3SyPxG

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 2, 2024

Earlier, Jaishankar was welcomed by Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev upon his arrival at the airport here. He was greeted by the prominent members of the Indian community when he reached his hotel.

The situation in Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict and boosting overall security cooperation among the SCO member countries are expected to figure in the summit.

Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to Astana for the summit.

The SCO comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan is an influential economic and security bloc that has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.

Kazakhstan is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.

India was the chair of the SCO last year. It hosted the SCO Summit in the virtual format in July last year.

India's association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)