PM Modi The summit of the regional group SCO takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted global energy supply lines and impacted numerous economies.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, stating that the battlefield is not a viable solution. He made these remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan today.
The summit for this regional organization takes place against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, which have impacted global energy supplies and affected many economies.
In the company of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, PM Modi also stressed the need for unified action against terrorism.
He asserted, “We must unite with a single voice against any double standards on terrorism,” addressing the audience in a setting where the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also present. “It is essential to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism, including its financing, recruitment, radicalization, and safe havens.”
PM Modi’s remarks seemed to allude to Pakistan’s longstanding strategy of backing terror groups to target India. The attacks on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, by terrorists linked to Pakistan last year, prompted India to launch a significant response through Operation Sindoor. Indian cruise missiles and drones targeted infrastructure deep within Pakistan used for training terrorists as well as Pakistani military assets.
Analysts point out that the SCO platform, attended by both the Chinese President and the Pakistani Prime Minister, served as the most direct way for India to express its formal position on the issue, particularly concerning the CPEC, which passes through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a proposed 3,000-kilometer infrastructure network linking China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.
Prime Minister Modi’s remarks are noteworthy, given that the SCO’s primary objectives include fostering mutual trust, friendship, and good neighborly relations, alongside promoting effective and mutually advantageous collaboration in various domains.
The 10-member SCO was established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
This SCO summit is taking place in an expanded ‘SCO-Plus’ format, bringing together leaders from over a dozen other associated nations. Notable attendees include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe.