SCO Summit, PM Modi Says ‘Some Countries Use Cross-Border Terrorism As An Instrument As Pakistan’s Sharif Looks On

In a statement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that some nations engage in cross-border terrorism and provide safe harbour for terrorists. He encouraged the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to protest these actions.

“Terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace. We will have to fight against terrorism…Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism,” Modi said at the SCO Summit, hosted by India, without naming any country.

The virtual SCO Summit also included Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan.

“We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO,” Modi said.

Leaders of the SCO met virtually in order to include Iran and create a path for Belarus to membership, in an effort to increase the influence of the Eurasian alliance.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, and Chinese President Xi Jinping both took part in the virtual summit. This was Putin’s first outing at a global gathering following the brief rebellion of the Wagner mercenary squad in late June.

We have to make united efforts: PM Modi

“The situation in Afghanistan has had a direct impact on the security of all of us (countries). India’s concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are the same as most of the SCO Member countries. We have to make united efforts for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan…It is important that the land of Afghanistan is not used to spread unrest in neighbouring nations or promote extremist ideologies,” Modi said at the summit.

The eight-member SCO is a political and security organisation that aims to counteract Western dominance in Eurasia. It was founded in 2001 by China and Russia, with the former Soviet central Asian states as founding members. India and Pakistan eventually joined.

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