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India, as the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), has extended invitations to Pakistan and China to attend several ministerial meetings of the grouping as per standard protocol. These include the SCO Defence Ministers meeting scheduled for 27th April in Delhi, as well as the National Security Advisors meeting set for March 29. Invite has been dished out for home ministers meet, even as New Delhi is in the process of extending the invite for other key meetings.

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Pakistan had virtually attended the SCO chief justice meeting hosted by Delhi, represented by Justice Munib Akhtar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, as Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial skipped the meeting. The level of Pakistan's presence in the upcoming SCO meetings is now up to them to decide.

The SCO is made up of eight member countries, namely Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, covering over 60% of the Eurasian landmass, 40% of the world population, and 30% of the global GDP. The organisation aims to promote economic, political, and military cooperation among its members, and with Iran becoming a full-fledged member under Indian Presidency, the SCO's strategic significance has grown even more.

India will hold various meetings of the grouping this year, including the summit on June 25, and the foreign ministers meeting on 4-5 May in Goa, for which invitations have already been sent. In July, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi is expected to attend the summit in Delhi as his country becomes a member of the mega grouping.

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Keeping up with protocol, India invites Pakistan to SCO defence and NSA meetings - WION