Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who is in Pakistan to attend the conclave of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), on Wednesday, made a landmark speech by saying that activities across borders characterised by the “three evils” of terrorism, extremism and separatism will not encourage trade, connectivity and energy flows. He said, “Cooperation must be based on mutual respect and sovereign equality and that the SCO member nations can benefit immensely if the grouping moves ahead collectively with mutual trust.”
Jaishankar, stressed on adhering to SCO charter, highlighting its underlying essence of strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good neighbourliness.
The conclave of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Jaishankar said, “Our endeavours will progress only when our commitment to the Charter remains firm. As the Charter spelt out, this means being firm and uncompromising in countering the ‘three evils’. If activities across borders are characterised by terrorism, extremism and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges in parallel.”
Jaishankar said, “It is imperative that we now renew our resolve to attain the objectives of the SCO. That means recognizing the current constraints on our cooperation and focusing on the pathway forward. It can surely happen when we develop and implement an agenda that is firmly based on an agreed mutuality of interests. To do that, it is equally essential that we abide by the do’s and don’ts so clearly articulated by the Charter.”
Indian Foreign Minister’s remarks came in response to Pakistan Prime Minister who suggested the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and integrating it into a robust SCO connectivity framework. India had opposed the corridor for a long time because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
