Wed Oct 16 15:48:08 UTC 2024: ## India Urges ‘Honest Conversation’ at SCO Meeting, Criticizes China and Pakistan

**Islamabad, Pakistan:** India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, has called for an “honest conversation” about trust and neighbourly ties within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), implicitly criticizing China and Pakistan. Speaking at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad, Jaishankar highlighted shortcomings in upholding territorial integrity and tackling terrorism, issues that have long strained relations between India and its neighbours.

Jaishankar’s comments came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suggested expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – which India opposes due to its passage through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir – and integrating it into a broader SCO connectivity framework. While the SCO discourages raising bilateral issues, India, Pakistan, and China have often clashed over such matters within the bloc.

Jaishankar emphasized the importance of the SCO Charter, which promotes mutual trust, friendship, and good neighbourliness, while addressing challenges like the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He pointed out that activities like cross-border terrorism, extremism, and separatism hinder cooperation and undermine regional development.

He also criticized China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which India is not a part, and the CPEC, saying that cooperation should be based on “mutual respect and sovereign equality,” not unilateral agendas. Jaishankar stressed the need for a commitment to the SCO Charter and combating the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism, and extremism.

Jaishankar proposed areas of collaboration for SCO member states, including industrial cooperation, MSME development, investment flows, and enhanced connectivity, emphasizing the potential for mutual benefit in various sectors like trade, energy, environment, and health. He also advocated for comprehensive UN Security Council reform, urging the SCO to champion this cause.

Sharif, while chairing the meeting, highlighted Pakistan’s focus on regional peace, connectivity, and sustainable development. He proposed establishing a “robust SCO connectivity framework” to facilitate regional trade and Eurasian connectivity, advocating for expansion of projects like the BRI, CPEC, and the International North-South Corridor. However, India did not endorse the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative in the joint communique issued after the meeting.

China’s Premier Li Qiang, in his speech, called for “pragmatic cooperation” in areas like poverty reduction, digital economy, green development, regional trade, and investment facilitation, as well as collective action against terrorism and extremism.

Jaishankar’s remarks at the meeting have highlighted the ongoing tensions between India and its neighbours within the SCO, with India emphasizing the importance of upholding territorial integrity and tackling terrorism for genuine regional cooperation. The SCO’s future trajectory will depend on how effectively its members can address these challenges and navigate the competing interests within the bloc.

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