New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday delivered a stern message to China and Pakistan while addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. PM Modi met virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Russia President Vladimir Putin and other leaders in regional SCO meet to raise concerns over attempts to bring on bilateral issues into the agenda of the eight-nation regional grouping that primarily focuses on security and defence issues.
Modi and Chinese President Jinping Xi came face-to-face virtually during the summit. The SCO summit took place at a time when India and China border tensions in eastern Ladakh escalated to a violent face-off in June, when 20 soldiers gave their lives for India and over 40 Chinese troops were killed or injured.
PM Modi said, “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.”
Talking about the challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi said that as the world’s largest vaccine-producing country, India will use its capacity to help entire humanity in fighting the crisis. “In this difficult time of the unprecedented epidemic, India’s pharma industry sent essential medicines to over 150 nations,” he said.
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 became its permanent members in 2017.
Comments are closed.