As PM Modi redefines SCO, he says ‘there are no double standards in terrorism’

He made these remarks at the opening session where Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was attending, and the session was being chaired by the host, Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“At this moment, one question is normal: is it acceptable to us that some countries openly support terrorism, We have to say this in clear words that there are no double standards in terrorism. We have to oppose terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. This is our responsibility towards mankind,” Modi said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Connectivity and opportunity

On the connectivity pillar, he said, “India has always believed that strong connectivity is not just for commerce, but also opens doors for trust and development.”

In this context, he stated that India has been working on the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor, which will facilitate access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. He said that connectivity efforts must respect territorial integrity and sovereignty, in reference to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, under the Belt and Road Initiative of Chinese President Xi.

“Connectivity, that by-passes sovereignty, loses trust and meaning,” he said, in a new framing.

The Prime Minister added that there is an opportunity for “cooperation and reform”. He said that, under India’s presidency of the SCO in 2023, it proposed new areas of cooperation, including innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and shared Buddhist heritage. He also called for connecting young scientists, scholars and start-ups.

In this context, to promote people-to-people ties, he proposed a civilisation dialogue forum under SCO, under which they can discuss ancient cultures, art, literature, and tradition on a global stage.

He also talked about India’s experience and the mantra of reform, perform, and transform being followed by his government. He called upon the SCO countries to join India’s development journey.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi met Chinese President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin briefly, and had an informal chat, as they gathered for the summit and the photographs.

These images are significant given that the US administration, especially White House Trade Envoy Peter Navarro, has expressed strong criticism and concern about India engaging with China and Russia.

India, in its statement after the Modi-Xi bilateral meeting, had flagged “strategy autonomy” and not to view relations through a “third country lens”.

Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with Putin.

Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

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