PM Modi drops out, Jaishankar to lead Indian team at SCO Summit in Kazakhstan
Hindustan TimesNEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Kazakhstan next month following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to skip the meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to external affairs minister S Jaishankar at Rashtrapati Bhawan on December 5, 2023 The Indian side had earlier confirmed PM Modi’s visit to Astana for the SCO Summit on July 3-4 and an “advance security liaison” team had also visited Kazakhstan as part of the preparations for the visit. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing on Friday that the Indian delegation to the SCO Summit will be led by Jaishankar. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to work together to advance the bilateral strategic partnership, and PM Modi conveyed India’s full support for the success of the SCO Summit in Astana, according to a readout from the external affairs ministry.