External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a strong message at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad, emphasizing that cooperation in areas like trade, energy, and connectivity is unlikely to flourish if terrorism, extremism, and separatism characterize activities across borders.
Jaishankar led the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit, chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He stressed that trust is key for cooperation and that SCO member nations can benefit immensely if they move ahead collectively.
Key Takeaways from Jaishankar’s Address AT Pak SCO Summit:
– Cooperation Requirements: Cooperation must be based on mutual respect, sovereign equality, and recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty. – Challenges to Cooperation: Activities across borders characterized by terrorism, extremism, and separatism hinder trade, energy flows, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. – Importance of Trust: Trust is essential for cooperation; SCO member nations must adhere to the charter, strengthening mutual trust, friendship, and good neighborliness. – Global Challenges: The world faces conflicts, Covid-19 repercussions, climate events, supply chain uncertainties, financial volatility, and debt challenges.
Jaishankar also highlighted the need for genuine partnerships, not unilateral agendas, and warned against cherry-picking global practices, especially in trade and transit. He emphasized the importance of reaffirming commitment to the SCO Charter to realize the benefits of cooperation and integration.
This visit marks Jaishankar’s first visit to Pakistan in nine years, significant given the strained India-Pakistan relations. However, both nations have dismissed the possibility of bilateral discussions during the summit.