External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday welcomed and hosted the foreign ministers of Russia, China, Pakistan and other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), ahead of the two-day conclave of the regional grouping.

The main deliberations of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers will take place on Friday.

The reception at the sea-side Taj Exotica Resort in Benaulim was attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Russia's Sergey Lavrov and Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Uzbekistan's Bakhtiyor Saidov and SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming. The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were also among those who joined the reception.

This evening's cultural performance was an amalgamation of Indian classical and folk dance forms along with Bollywood dance styles. There was a special segment where representatives of the SCO countries showcased their dance performances.

Deliberations and India’s role

The SCO conclave is expected to deliberate on geo-political turmoil in the region, especially arising out of Russia's military operation in Ukraine and the West's response to it.

The situation in Afghanistan including apprehensions that the country may turn into a breeding ground for terrorism under the Taliban rule are also expected to be discussed in the meeting.

The process to admit Iran and Belarus as full members of the grouping is reaching its final stage, officials said, according to a report in PTI.

A proposal on settlement of trade in national currencies by the SCO member countries is also part of the agenda of the grouping.

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.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

Pakistan committed to SCO charter

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan's decision to attend the SCO foreign ministers' meeting in India reflects its "commitment" to the SCO Charter and multilateralism as he asserted that his country was committed to playing its part to advance its shared values of peace and stability in the region.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari travelled to Goa on Thursday to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in the first such high-level visit to India from Pakistan since 2011.

"Pakistan's decision to attend SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting in India reflects our commitment to the SCO Charter & multilateralism," Sharif tweeted.

"We are committed to playing our part to advance our shared values of peace & stability in the region. We are all for win-win understandings based on connectivity, trade and mutually advantageous cooperation," he further said.

The visit of Bilawal, who is leading a delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Beijing-based Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), comes amid continued strain in ties between India and Pakistan on a number of issues including Islamabad's continued support to cross-border terrorism.

"During my visit, which is focused exclusively on the SCO, I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries," Bilawal had tweeted before his departure from Pakistan.

India, Russia review bilateral ties

S Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Thursday carried out a comprehensive review of India-Russia 'special and privileged strategic partnership' in the backdrop of Moscow's increasingly frosty relations with the West over the Ukraine crisis.

The two foreign ministers held an hour-long meeting at a beach resort in Benaulim, Goa.

A Russian readout said the two sides agreed to continue working towards building a "fair multipolar system of interstate relations."

Lavrov's arrival comes a day after Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the Kremlin with drones in an unsuccessful attempt to kill President Vladimir Putin.

Also read: SCO summit in Goa | Jaishankar meets Secretary-General Zhang Ming — What more is expected today

"Comprehensive review of our bilateral, global and multilateral cooperation with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia. Appreciated Russia's support for India's SCO presidency. Also discussed issues pertaining to G20 and BRICS," Jaishankar said in a tweet.

The Russian readout said the two foreign ministers "praised the dynamics of cooperation in key areas of the special and privileged strategic partnership" between India and Russia.

"A trust-based exchange of views on the main issues of bilateral relations, including the schedule of upcoming contacts, as well as topical issues on the global and regional agenda took place," it said.

"The intention to further strengthen coordination to develop common approaches within the framework of interaction at the most important international platforms, including the SCO, BRICS, the UN and the G20 was confirmed," it added.

Russia condemns attack on Kremlin

Russian foreign ministry condemned the drone attack on Moscow's Kremlin.

"The Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the attempted terrorist attacks against the Moscow Kremlin on the night of May 2, when it was targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.

Accusing Ukraine of the attacks, Russia said it will identify and punish those behind the attack. It alleged that the attacks were in connivance with the West.

"It has been an open secret for the international community that the Kiev regime enjoys the support of Western countries, which provide it with weapons, intelligence data, train its fighters and assign targets. The silence on behalf of the collective West demonstrates its connivance with the terrorist methods employed by the neo-Nazi extremist regime in Kiev."

Seeking the support of the international community in standing against Ukraine, Russia said: "The Foreign Ministry reaffirms that Russia reserves the right to take countermeasures in response to these outrageous acts of terrorism. Russia’s response will hinge on the assessment of the threats posed by Kiev to the leadership of our country."

(Edited by : Pradeep John)