Pakistan, China’s participation at SCO foreign ministers' meeting in India a sign of reduced tensions: Experts
This comes as India’s relations with both neighbours have hit a new low in the past few years.
NEW DELHI: The participation of Pakistan and China at a foreign ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this week is seen as a sign of reduced tensions with host nation India, said observers.
This comes as India’s relations with both neighbours have hit a new low in the past few years.
Foreign ministers from countries in the SCO group will be meeting in India's western state of Goa on Friday (May 5), with regional peace and cooperation expected to be on the agenda. India, China and Pakistan are among eight member states of the SCO.
Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang will be among those attending the summit.
Mr Bhutto Zardari is the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit India since 2011.
While India and Pakistan have said no to a bilateral dialogue so far, analysts believe the attendance is a sign of a small but crucial progress in the two neighbours’ relationship.
Both sides have downgraded their diplomatic and trade ties since 2019, with little sign of mending their relationship.
Meanwhile, Mr Qin’s visit to India is also being seen with similar optimism.
India’s relations with China, although not as strained as they are with Pakistan, have hit new lows after a border standoff in 2020.
PLATFORM FOR RECONCILIATION?
But the SCO may give these nations a platform for a shot at reconciliation, said some experts.
Mr Pankaj Saran, former Indian deputy national security adviser, said: “I think it’s a great sign. It just shows that India is actually in a position to deal across countries, across geographies, and is able to manage its differences with different countries.”
However, Dr Teesta Prakash, analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, believes the India-Pakistan relations “are a total impasse”.
“All trade and economic relations have been suspended. Will this visit make a difference? It seems unlikely to me because Delhi has very little expectations from it, and there are strong criticisms within Pakistan of Bhutto visiting New Delhi at this time,” she told CNA938 on Thursday.
India’s year-long presidency of the SCO has lately been dominated by its bilateral relations with the other three big members Russia, China and Pakistan.
But analysts are expecting Delhi to use this opportunity to also forge close ties with the Central Asian nations.
They added that it could bring them into its fold by highlighting common concerns such as boosting trade and enhancing connectivity to central Asia.
Mr Saran, a former Indian ambassador to Russia, said: “There is a desire to not allow the Russia-China contest to go beyond a point, and I think there’s also a great welcome to India and for India’s role as a power and as a country that can provide alternative options, strategically speaking, to the region.”
STRATEGIC INCOHERENCE WITHIN SCO
The SCO nations account for about 42 per cent, or just under half, of the world’s population and a third of the global gross domestic product.
But the grouping has consistently punched below its weight, said observers.
The SCO was set up “to be a non-western sort of security alliance or corporation”, said Dr Prakash. “But I do think that since then, there has been a lot of strategic incoherence present within the SCO.”
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Yet, it has the potential to emerge as a “formidable” bloc by improving ties between its biggest members, experts noted.
Conversations that happen on the sidelines of the summit will be important to watch, said Dr Prakash.
“However, I don't think that the India-Pakistan conversation will move much further,” she added.
“I do think that this will be a very strong platform for China to also show how it's shaping the inner security of Asia.”
