Following the summit, which concluded on Tuesday and was presided over by India, it was announced in the New Delhi Declaration that Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have reiterated their support for the BRI.

Earlier in the day, the SCO summit came to an end while India held the presidency. The ceremony was virtually attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other SCO leaders.

As stated in the Delhi Declaration, which was released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), “Reaffirming their support for China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) initiative, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, and Republic of Uzbekistan note the ongoing work to jointly implement this project, including efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI.”

The statement also stated that “they spoke in favour of implementing the Roadmap for a step-by-step increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested Member States.”

India had already turned down Xi Jinping’s main initiative for connectivity and trade. India has not modified its position on the BRI since the previous SCO meetings, making it the only nation to oppose the initiative.

The SCO New Delhi Declaration stated that “The Member States intend to broaden and deepen cooperation for sustainable socio-economic development and to improve the well-being and living standards of the people in the SCO region,” and that “They consider it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by interested Member States, other joint programmes, and projects aimed at promoting cooperation in such priority areas.”

In the meantime, speaking virtually to the SCO summit of heads of state on Tuesday, Xi reaffirmed Beijing’s position on advancing BRI and discussed “high-quality Belt and Road cooperation” with the regional cooperation initiatives and development strategies of various nations, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“Efforts should be made to further promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, speed up the development of port infrastructure and regional and international logistic corridors, and ensure stable and efficient functioning of regional industrial and supply chains,” said Xi Jinping in his speech to the 23rd SCO summit.

“I proposed the Belt and Road Initiative ten years ago, and China will hold the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on its tenth anniversary,” Xi was cited as saying by Xinhua.

The sovereignty and geographical integrity of every nation should be respected, India has stated, despite the fact that connectivity is crucial.

In his speech, the prime minister made it abundantly apparent how crucial connectivity is for SCO members. However, connection must respect national and territorial boundaries. In his remarks to the Ministry of External Affairs briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated that India’s position on the BRI has been clear.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other group leaders attended the conference that PM Modi presided over.

The SCO has seen a lot of activity and productive member state cooperation under India’s presidency. 14 Ministerial-level meetings were among the 134 meetings and events that India has held. India is still dedicated to contributing positively and constructively to the group and is anticipating a successful SCO Summit as the conclusion of its Chairmanship.

India will continue to hold the rotating presidency through September 2023.