PM Modi’s stern message for China, Pakistan in SCO meet: Respect each others’ territorial integrity

PM Modi has delivered a stern message to its neighbours Pakistan and China via SCO Summit. Addressing the annual event virtually, PM Modi said that all member nations should respect each others’ territorial integrity

PM Modi addressing 20th SCO summit via video conferencing (Screengrab from Youtube/NarendraModi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday delivered a stern message to China and Pakistan while address the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. In his speech, delivered via video conferencing, PM Modi said that all member nations should respect each others’ territorial integrity.

“India has strong cultural and historical ties with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation countries…India believes that to enhance connectivity it is important that we move forward while respecting one another’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his speech.

"It is unfortunate that there are unnecessary attempts to bring bilateral issues in the SCO agenda, which is in violation of SCO Charter and Shanghai spirit," the prime minister said.

This was the first occasion where PM Modi had come face-to-face, albeit virtually, with Chinese president Xi Jinping, since the border standoff between India and China began in eastern Ladakh in early May.

The SCO summit is being held virtually this year due to travel restrictions and safety concerns in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The summit is likely to be dominated by the adverse economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the rising threat of terrorism.

According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry earlier, the summit is expected to focus on countering the spread of terrorism including the use of the internet for spreading radicalisation, as also issues relating to trade and economic activities.

SCO summit

Beijing-headquartered Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), seen as a counterweight to NATO, is an eight-member economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

The annual summit of SCO council of heads of state deals with all the key areas of the activities of the powerful bloc including political, security, trade, economic and cultural.

Prime Minister Modi has led the Indian delegation at the annual SCO summit since India became a full member in 2017.

However, India’s association with the organisation dates back to 2005 when it became an Observer State of the grouping. Since then, India has played a positive and constructive role in all areas of SCO activities with a special emphasis on cooperation in trade and economy, officials said.

Russia is the current chair of the SCO and President Vladimir Putin will be chairing the summit meeting which is being held for the first time in virtual format due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The summit will culminate with the release of a Moscow declaration which will reflect the broad agenda of the bloc for the next one year, sources said.

Apart from the Moscow declaration, the summit may issue separate documents on digital economy, COVID-19, countering the spread of terrorism, according to officials.

Apart from India, China and Russia, the summit is scheduled to be attended by heads all other member states Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The heads of four Observer States of SCO Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia will also participate.

In the summit held in Bishkek last year, Prime Minister Modi had given his vision for the SCO with the acronym HEALTH with H for health care cooperation, E for economic cooperation, A for alternative energy, L for literature and culture, T for terrorism free society and H for humanitarian cooperation.

India also participated in two in-person meetings of the SCO defence ministers and council of foreign ministers in Moscow in September.

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