Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, represented India at the meeting of the SCO council of foreign ministers in Kazakhstan's capital Astana on Tuesday.
One of the main items on the agenda were the comprehensive preparations for the upcoming meeting of the SCO Heads of States Council, which is to be held in July 1st week.
Tuesday's meeting discussed preparations for the upcoming Summit of the SCO council of heads of state, reviewed ongoing cooperation in the SCO, and exchanged ideas on regional and global developments of common concern including extremism.
During his visit, Ravi also held meetings with his counterparts from SCO member states, and senior officials of the government of Kazakhstan.
Earlier Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane on April 25-26 had led an Indian delegation to Kazakhstan for the annual meeting of the defence ministers of member states of the SCO during which the «regional security issues» within the SCO were reviewed.
The goals of the SCO are — to strengthen mutual trust, friendship and good-neighbourliness between the Member States; to encourage the effective cooperation between the Member States in such spheres as politics, trade, economy, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc; to jointly ensure and maintain peace, security and stability in the region; and to promote a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic international order.
Kazakhstan is