India plans to push anti-terror agenda at SCO, Indo-Pacific priorities at Asean

New Delhi: Countering terrorism and extremism, strengthening maritime security, building resilient supply chains and reinforcing Indo-Pacific stability will be among India's priorities as it participates in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Asean foreign ministers' meetings next week.

The SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Bishkek will lay the groundwork for the grouping's summit scheduled for end-August or early September. India is expected to once again press for a stronger SCO mechanism to counter cross-border terrorism across the Eurasian region, people familiar with the matter told ET.

The Philippines will host the Asean foreign ministers' meeting, post-ministerial conferences and events marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia from July 19 to 24.


Among those expected to attend are US secretary of state Marco Rubio, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, Australian foreign minister Penny Wong, as well as the foreign ministers of India, Japan and New Zealand, and representatives of the European Union.

The ministerial week will conclude with the Asean Plus Three foreign ministers' meeting, the Asean Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting.

A meeting of the Quad foreign ministers could also be held on the sidelines of the Asean meetings, with all four Quad members expected to be present in Manila. The meeting would follow the Quad foreign ministers' talks held in New Delhi in May.