Framing security as a non-negotiable prerequisite for regional progress, PM Narendra Modi delivered a thinly veiled warning to Pakistan over state-sponsored terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. With Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif in attendance, Modi said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy, and provide shelter and support to terrorists, must be sent a strong message that terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone.The remarks are significant also because of the timing. Pakistan assumed rotating chairmanship of SCO from Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday and will host the heads-of-state summit next year, for which it will invite Modi, along with others.Modi made the remarks, in which he also warned against double standards on terrorism, while expanding on India’s SCO vision – Security, Connectivity and Opportunity – that he articulated in Tianjin last year.With Chinese President Xi Jinping also present, PM reiterated India’s position that all connectivity initiatives must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states as this is also the “fundamental spirit” of SCO charter. Modi said that terrorism continued to pose a serious challenge to humanity and it’s important to not remain confined to an action-reaction approach in the fight against the menace.“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens. We must speak with one voice and make it clear that there can be no place for double standards on this serious issue,” said PM, without naming Pakistan as SCO charter doesn’t allow members to raise bilateral differences.India and Pakistan together joined the China-dominated Eurasian grouping as full members in 2017. For India, the security-oriented SCO has served as a platform not just to assert its strategic autonomy but also flag regional risks from state-sponsored terrorism. Modi said that the bloc’s shared aspiration for a peaceful and secure Eurasia is also closely linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan and that India will continue to contribute to the development and provision of humanitarian assistance to people of the country.Modi addressed West Asia crisis, saying it was affecting energy security, maritime trade and supply chains around the world and recalling his message earlier that conflicts cannot be resolved on the battlefield. “Countries of Global South bear greatest brunt of such disruptions. Therefore, India has consistently called for all tensions and conflicts to be resolved not on battlefield, but through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.While underlining the importance India attaches to SCO, Modi said that at a time when the world is passing through instability, the organisation must transform the shared geography into opportunities and bring about positive change in people’s lives. Describing SCO as a confluence of great civilisations, cultures, and ideas, he said that over next 25 years, people-to-people ties should remain at the heart of cooperation among the member states.“True measure of our success should be how many new opportunities our efforts create, how many new markets open up for entrepreneurs, how much farmers benefit from tech, and how much better the lives of our citizens become,” said the PM. According to an Indian readout of PM’s participation, Modi stated that strong and trusted connectivity initiatives were important for the group’s shared progress and prosperity.
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“Underlining that India supports connectivity efforts that link markets, enhance trade and open new opportunities for development, he reiterated such efforts should respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations,” said the readout.
