Pak takes SCO chair, PM Modi slams use of terror as strategic asset
Connectivity Must Respect Territorial Integrity, Says PM
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed leadership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and criticized Pakistan's use of terrorism as a strategic asset during the summit. He reminded the other members that terrorism cannot be utilized as a tool for geopolitical advantage under any circumstances. Pakistan assumed the rotating presidency of SCO from Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday and will host the heads-of-state summit the following year.
Modi reiterated India's vision of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity for the SCO, emphasizing that all connectivity projects must adhere to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. He highlighted the importance of dismantling the entire structure of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalization, and safe havens, advocating for a unified approach to combating terrorism.
India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members in 2017. India has been utilizing the SCO platform not only to assert its strategic autonomy but also to raise awareness of regional risks stemming from state-sponsored terrorism. Modi also touched upon the West Asia crisis, stating that it is impacting energy security, maritime trade, and supply chains across the world.
He reiterated his belief that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than on the battlefield, as the global South bears the brunt of such disruptions.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
