Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel has stressed on the need for effective cooperation between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States for a balanced and equitable growth in trade and commerce. The Minister said this at the 20th Meeting of SCO Ministers responsible for Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade which was hosted by Kazakhstan. In her intervention at the meeting, Mrs Patel also proposed for creation of a new Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and for setting up a new Expert Working Group on Cooperation in Traditional Medicine. She also stated that cooperation in the field of start-ups and innovation can be a focal point in reviving our economies from the consequences of the pandemic. With this in mind, she invited all SCO Member States to take part in the 2nd Start-up Forum to be hosted by India on 27th and 28th of this month. The Minister of State also highlighted that there is a significant gap in digital technologies between developed and developing countries which needs to be narrowed down by building digital capacities. Mrs Patel emphasized that SCO members must prepare, act and stand in solidarity with each other and pursue an agenda that is equitable and inclusive and development oriented.
The virtual meeting was attended by the Secretary General of SCO and Heads of Delegations of China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
