India has confirmed plans to virtually host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit on July 4.
The decision for the 22nd SCO meeting to take place online was announced by the Indian foreign ministry on Tuesday, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Singh Modi set to preside.
Despite the surprise shift to a virtual format, the Indian government hasn’t provided a reason, sparking various conjectures.
Indian media reports, citing inside sources, stated that the decision was independent of the schedules of the SCO member states’ leaders. It was noted that China’s and Russia’s leaders are due to attend the G20 meeting in September.
If the meeting had been in-person, it would have marked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first trip to India since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. There would also have been opportunities for interactions between Indian leaders and those of Pakistan and China.
Some analysts in Pakistan speculate that the move to a virtual format might be India’s attempt to avoid a visit from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari attended the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa, India. Although he met several counterparts, there was no bilateral meeting with India’s Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The SCO is a political and security organization comprising Pakistan, Russia, and China, with India holding the chair since September.
 Council of Heads of State Summit will be held virtually on July 4. The unexpected move has sparked speculations){kind=link}