PANAJI
Foreign ministers of eight countries, including Billawal Bhutto of Pakistan, are slated to arrive in Goa on Thursday for a two-day conclave as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The conclave of foreign ministers of Russia, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikstan and Uzbekistan will be hosted at a starred hotel in Benaulim, South Goa.
India took over the chairmanship of the SCO grouping last year and is therefore hosting the meet which gains significant over the presence of the foreign ministers of China and Pakistan in light of recent tension between these two countries and India.
Interestingly, India’s foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar is expected to hold bilateral talks with his Chinese and Russian counterparts Qin Gang and Sergey Lavrov, respectively, but there was no information if a similar meet will be held with Bhutto on the sidelines of the conclave.
India is emerging as a key player among the SCO countries though China and Russia are seen as the major drivers of the grouping that is increasingly seen as an “alternative” to NATO.
Meanwhile, the stinking wholesale market and the platform outside wore a new look, with the stench suddenly disappearing from the area since the VVIPs would be travelling by thise route to reach their destination at Benaulim.
