At SCO, PM demands end to terror havens
With Shehbaz Sharif in the room, PM Narendra Modi warns that no nation can weaponise the menace of terror
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a strong message on terrorism at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, calling for the dismantling of the terror ecosystem and making it clear that there can be “no room for double standards” in the fight against the menace.
“We must speak with one voice that there can be no room for double standards on this serious issue. Countries that use terrorism as an instrument of policy, and that provide shelter and support to terrorists, must be given a firm message: terrorism cannot be a strategic asset for anyone,” the PM was speaking at a roundtable discussion attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other SCO leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
Speaking about the broader security challenges facing the region, the PM said the “perimeter of security” had widened in an increasingly interconnected world.
“In today’s interconnected world, the perimeter of security has grown even wider. The crisis in West Asia has shown that conflict in one region does not remain confined to that region alone... its effects are felt across the world’s energy security, maritime trade, and supply chains,” he said.
He said countries of the global South bear the heaviest cost of such conflicts and reiterated India’s position that wars and tensions must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
“Countries of the global South bear the heaviest cost of this. That is why India has consistently called for all tensions and wars to be resolved not on the battlefield, but through dialogue and diplomacy,” PM Modi said.
The PM also flagged drug trafficking as a growing threat to the younger generation and regional security, calling for stronger cooperation among SCO countries to tackle narcotics and organised crime.
“The centres being established under the SCO to tackle challenges such as security threats, organised crime, information security, and narcotics are a positive step. We must make these effective instruments of practical coordination and timely action,” PM Modi said.
On connectivity, PM Modi said India supported efforts to link markets, facilitate trade and create new pathways for development but stressed that such initiatives must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.
The PM also outlined “opportunity” as the third pillar of India’s approach to the SCO, saying the benefits of cooperation must directly reach citizens.
“The third pillar is opportunity. This means that the benefits of SCO cooperation must reach our people directly. Our greatest asset is the bond between our people,” he said.
“For India, the SCO is a confluence of great civilisations, cultures, and ideas. In the SCO’s next twenty-five years, people-to-people ties must remain at the heart of our cooperation,” the PM said.
He said the success of SCO cooperation should ultimately be measured by the opportunities it creates for young people, entrepreneurs and farmers and its impact on people’s lives.
During the family photo session, PM Modi was seen briefly exchanging words with Xi and Putin. PM Modi and Xi were seen shaking hands and speaking briefly before the leaders posed for the group photograph, while Sharif was later seen approaching Putin.
On the sidelines of the two-day summit, PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with Pezeshkian and Putin on Monday. A bilateral meeting between the PM and Xi, however, is unlikely.
SCO photo gets a crop
New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office briefly posted a cropped version of the SCO summit family photograph, omitting several leaders while retaining Sharif prominently in the frame. The edited image circulated online before Sharif later shared the complete photograph featuring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other SCO leaders. The episode drew attention on social media as the summit focused on regional security, terrorism, trade, connectivity and geopolitical challenges. The photo controversy unfolded against the backdrop of a summit focused on regional security, terrorism, economic cooperation, connectivity and wider geopolitical challenges.
