External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to take a strong and unyielding position on terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
Addressing the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Tianjin, China, this evening, Dr. Jaishankar vehemently condemned recent incidents of violence, citing the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
He described the attack as a planned one meant to sabotage Jammu and Kashmir's tourism industry and ignite communal tensions. "The United Nations Security Council has condemned the act and emphasized bringing perpetrators, organizers, sponsors and financiers of this heinous act of terrorism to justice," the Minister stated.
Looking at wider global issues, Dr. Jaishankar pinpointed the increasing instability in the international system, specifically referencing the swelling wave of economic uncertainty. He pointed out that India has led a number of initiatives under the SCO framework, ranging from sectors like startups, innovation, traditional medicine, to digital public infrastructure.
For enhancing SCO cooperation, Dr. Jaishankar promoted increased trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts. Still, he expressed logistical challenges as well. "The absence of guaranteed transit through the SCO space dilutes the seriousness of promoting cooperation in economic spheres," he said.
He emphasized the need for connectivity and demanded the development of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a flagship project for developing the regional trade and transport connectivities.
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