Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that the grouping must speak with one voice against terrorism and that conflicts cannot be settled on the battlefield.
Addressing the 26th SCO summit in Bishkek, as the organisation marked 25 years since its founding, Indian PM set out India’s approach around three pillars: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.
On security, he said the fight against terrorism required more than statements. “We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism, its financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens.” He added that member states could not apply different rules to different groups. “We must speak with one voice that there can be no place for double standards on terrorism.”
The comments, made in presence of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, come as Delhi has has expressed its concern over Islamabad’s support to cross border terrorism into India. The Indian leader linked the security agenda to the wider international climate of armed conflict, from Europe to West Asia. “There is no solution on the battlefield; all wars and conflicts must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said. During PM Modi’s bilaterals with Iran, Russian leaders, dialogue & diplomacy was the big focus.
Turning to connectivity, Modi said India backed practical projects that expand commerce. “India supports all efforts that connect markets, facilitate trade, and open new pathways for development.” He immediately attached a condition: “These efforts for connectivity must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries”, in a clear message to China Pakistan Economic Corridor that goes through Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
The Indian leader also described the SCO in civilisational terms. “For India, the SCO is a confluence of great civilizations, cultures, and ideas.” He argued that the next quarter-century should put ordinary people at the heart of the organisation’s work. “The SCO should place people-to-people ties at the center of our cooperation for the next twenty-five years.”
He pointed to initiatives India has already launched inside the grouping: the Start-up Forum, the Young Authors’ Conclave and the Young Scientists’ Forum. Last year New Delhi proposed an SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum. “I am pleased that its first session will be held in India this year,” Modi said.
The two-day gathering in the Kyrgyz capital brought together the leaders of the SCO’s ten member states, including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and several Central Asian republics, along with dialogue partners. The summit is taking place against a backdrop of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, strained energy routes and renewed debate over Eurasian transport corridors. India has been a full member since 2017 and has consistently used the forum to press for consensus on counter-terrorism while promoting trade and people-to-people links.