Delegations from China, Pakistan and other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are attending a meeting of the grouping being hosted by India that is expected to deliberate on pressing security challenges, including threats of terrorism.
The three-day meeting in New Delhi that began on Wednesday is expected to witness extensive deliberations on regional security scenarios, including the situation in Afghanistan, people familiar with the development said.
Senior officials of the border management forces of the SCO member countries, including those from China and Pakistan, are attending the meeting, they said.
The participation of the Chinese delegation came in the backdrop of a military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh for over two years.
The meeting is deliberating on a variety of security challenges, including combating terrorism, the people cited above said.
India is hosting the meeting in its capacity as chair of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS).
India assumed the chair of SCO-RATS on October 28 last year for a period of one year.
India has shown keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO-RATS, which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.
Last month, India hosted a meeting of counter-terror experts from the SCO countries.
A similar conference was organised by India in December last year, in which all the SCO member states participated.
The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.
The member states of the SCO are Russia, China, India, Pakistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan is among the observer states of the SCO.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
"If Good Neighbourliness Is Missing...": S Jaishankar's Swipe At China, Pakistan S Jaishankar To Travel To Pak, Last Foreign Minister Visit Was In 2015 India Hints At Roles Of Pakistan, China That Could Undermine Shanghai Bloc Is Safe Car Enough? Volvo Crash That Killed CEO, Family Sparks Big Question "Nothing Short Of Nightmare": Woman Misses Life Event, Slams Air India Pics: Rahul Gandhi's Family Lunch At Iconic Delhi Restaurant Public Sector Hydropower Company Hiring For 118 Posts, Check Details Delhi's Air Quality Turns 'Severe' Despite GRAP-4 Restrictions PM Modi Meets Yoga Practitioner, Other Influencers In Kuwait Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.