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“A recognition of Russia’s efforts”

MOSCOW: Russia played a key role in persuading Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

“The Prime Minister’s attendance at the SCO summit means a recognition of the special efforts Russia has taken to ensure full participation of observers in the summit activities,” Ambassador to Russia Prabhat Shukla said ahead of the meetings in Yekaterinburg.

The Prime Minister goes to Yekaterinburg on June 15 to take part in the summits of the BRIC (Brazil-Russia-India-China) and the SCO. While Dr. Singh’s presence at the BRIC summit had been planned months ago, the level of India’s representation at the SCO summit was an open issue until recently.

After joining the regional security bloc as an observer in 2005, India was represented by the External Affairs Minister, the Petroleum Minister and once the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Dr. Singh once explained that he would not take part in SCO summits because he was unwilling to sip a cup of coffee outside while others were deliberating in closed-door meetings. He changed his mind after Russia pushed through a change in the organisation’s rules allowing fuller participation of observers in the SCO activities.

“It is the first time that observers will participate in full-scale discussions, including restricted meetings,” Mr. Shukla told Indian correspondents in Moscow.

He could not say whether Dr. Singh’s presence at the summit meant that India was upgrading its involvement in the six-member regional security group led by Russia and China.

“We’ll see how things work out,” the envoy said.

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