The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Leaders Summit, conducted digitally on Tuesday, included a common declaration called the “New Delhi Declaration” and joint remarks. PM Modi attacked both China and Pakistan at the ceremony for their respective roles in connectivity and cross-border terrorism.

Two separate joint statements—one on “cooperation in countering radicalization leading to separatism, extremism, and terrorism” and the other on “Digital transformation—were realised as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders’ summit on Tuesday. Together, they were dubbed the “New Delhi Declaration.”

The SCO Economic Development Strategy for 2030 was agreed upon by the SCO Head of State Council during the summit.

Decisions were also reached towards concluding the process for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to accept the Islamic Republic of Iran and provide it with the status of an SCO member state.

The Memorandum of Obligations of the Republic of Belarus to become a member state of the SCO was also signed by the SCO Heads of State Council.

They also designated Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the SCO Cultural and Tourism Capital for the years 2023–2024.

India Attacks Pakistan with Terrorism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the leaders present at the summit and declared, “Terrorism has become a serious threat to regional and global peace.” Determined action is needed to address the present situation. No matter how it manifests itself, we must work together to combat terrorism.

In a comment against Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, “Some countries use cross-border terrorism as a tool of their politics and give terrorists refuge. The SCO should not be afraid to condemn these countries. Double standards shouldn’t be tolerated in such grave situations.

Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, responded to PM Modi’s comments by alleging “minority persecution” in India. The use of terrorism for “diplomatic point-scoring” by India, he added, should be avoided.

Additionally, Sharif declared that there could be “no justification for the killing of innocent people, regardless of the cause or pretext,” to isolate India. Similarly, religious minorities shouldn’t ever be demonised for domestic political purposes.

The timing of Shehbaz Sharif’s speech is unfortunate because minorities in Pakistan are currently experiencing terrible persecution, including forced conversion, kidnapping, rape, and forced marriages (of women and young girls from minority communities).

What India Told China Regarding Communication

India also criticised China during the virtual summit for its “connectivity” and for not respecting other nations’ sovereignty.

A strong connection is essential for every region’s development. Better connections promote mutual trust while also enhancing trade between nations. However, it is crucial to safeguard the fundamental tenets of the SCO charter in this endeavour, including protecting the member states’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India opposes China’s BRI (Belt and Road Initiative), as a significant portion of its project in Pakistan, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), travels through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). All existing SCO members, with the exception of India and Russia, are part of this initiative.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said when asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made reference to China’s BRI initiative: “The references to sovereignty and territorial integrity occurred both in the framework of the SCO charter as well as in the context of the connectivity projects. In actuality, one of the main areas of concentration for cooperation among the SCO member nations was connection.

India’s perspective on connection and how it interacts with BRI is clear, he continued. “The PM clearly stated that connectivity is good and important but that it has to be respectful of concerns related to sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

According to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was speaking on the CPEC project, “The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, can be a force multiplier not only for regional connectivity but also for regional stability, peace, and prosperity.”

Afghanistan’s Stabilisation

The Afghan crisis has had a direct influence on everyone’s security, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Like the majority of the SCO nations, India has similar worries and hopes for Afghanistan. To work towards the welfare of the Afghan people, we must band together.

The creation of an inclusive government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, protecting the rights of women, children, and minorities, and providing humanitarian relief to Afghan residents are all priorities, the prime minister declared.

 

Increase The Usage Of Chabahar Port: Pm Modi

 After Iran joins the SCO, increase usage of Chabahar Port, says Prime Minister Modi.

Following Iran’s accession to the largest regional association in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Tuesday that SCO members may cooperate to increase the use of the Chabahar Port.

Landlocked nations in Central Asia may use the International North-South Transport Corridor as a safe and effective way to reach the Indian Ocean. Its entire potential should be pursued, the prime minister added.

“Strong connection is essential for every region’s development. Better connections promote mutual trust while also enhancing trade between nations. However, it is crucial to retain the fundamental tenets of the SCO charter in these initiatives, including honouring the sovereignty and geographic integrity of the Member States,” the release said.

Chabahar Port, located in Iran’s Sistan-Balochistan province, has the potential to become a significant commercial hub due to its proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). An $85 million port project, signed in May 2016, aims to establish an International Transport and Transit Corridor in Chabahar. The project includes the construction of a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, allowing cargo to be transported to Bandar Abbas and Chabahar ports, freeing Kabul from Pakistan’s dependence. This will provide India with access to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Europe via the 7,200-km-long INSTC.

 

A Cyst For The SCO Summit

 The Russian president mentioned the rumble-yuan exchange, according to spokesman Arindam Bagchi at the Ministry of External Affairs briefing. Additionally, we have encouraged the use of domestic currency for trade.

The Concept of Cooperation amongst the SCO Member States to Decarbonize Transport as well as Promote Digital Transformation and Innovative Technologies to Achieve Greater Efficiency and Sustainability was also endorsed by the SCO Heads of State Council.

The SCO Heads of State Council also decided to sign a memorandum between the SCO Secretariat and the UN Environment Programme and to amend the rules governing the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure’s executive committee.

Jinping, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan all attended the meeting, which was presided over by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

As heads of SCO observer nations, Alexander Lukashenko, Ebrahim Raisi, and Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, the presidents of Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia, respectively, were invited to the summit.

Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the president of Turkmenistan, was invited as a guest of the ruling party.

Nearly one-third of the world’s economy and around 40% of the world’s people are represented by the SCO.