The SCO is the successor to the Shanghai Five set up in the early 2000s and is considered to be one of the most influential economic alliances in the world.
Sputnik brings you a live broadcast from New Delhi, India, where the Shanghai Cooperation Organization virtual summit is being held.
Indian PM Narendra Modi will host the event. Among the most prominent speakers are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Putin is expected to touch upon the issues of multipolar world and the emergence of new economies that will challenge Western hegemony.
The signing of the Delhi Declaration, a document that will sum up the key takeaways of the summit, will serve to close the event.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a Eurasian economic and security bloc and the largest regional alliance in the world in terms of geographic scope and population. The SCO represents roughly 20% of global GDP. Currently, the organization consists of eight permanent members, namely, Russia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is expected that Islamic Republic of Iran will formally become a full SCO member today.
