A three-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of National Coordinators began in Islamabad on Monday, with India among the participating delegations. The gathering, which will continue until September 30, is being held under Pakistan’s 2026–27 chairmanship of the SCO and is aimed at preparing the ground for the next SCO Heads of State summit scheduled for August 2027 in Islamabad.
India’s delegation is being led by Alok Dimri, Additional Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry’s Multilateral Economic Relations Division and India’s National Coordinator for the SCO. His participation marks the first time in nearly two years that an Indian team has travelled to Pakistan for an SCO-related meeting, even as New Delhi continues to engage with the bloc despite strained bilateral ties.
The meeting is chaired by Pakistan’s SCO National Coordinator, Dr Mohammad Faisal, and brings together national coordinators from all 10 SCO member states, along with representatives of the SCO Secretariat. Over the three days, delegates are expected to finalise the programme of activities under Pakistan’s chairmanship, coordinate the calendar of upcoming SCO meetings and events, and discuss broader priorities for cooperation within the organisation.
Reports indicate that the agenda includes regional connectivity and other key themes that are likely to feature in the run-up to the 2027 summit. For India, the meeting is significant as the SCO remains a major multilateral platform for discussions on Eurasian security, counter-terrorism, and connectivity projects, even as New Delhi balances its participation with its complex relationship with Pakistan.
The SCO currently has 10 member states: India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. The Council of National Coordinators acts as a key working-level body that prepares decisions and documents for higher-level SCO meetings, including those of foreign ministers and heads of state.
By taking part in the Islamabad meeting, India has signalled its intent to remain actively involved in SCO processes under Pakistan’s chairmanship, while keeping its focus on the organisation’s core security and economic agenda.
