New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to collectively work to eliminate terrorism in all forms and hold those who aid or fund such activities accountable, in a veiled dig at Pakistan, on Friday.
Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif, a member of the SCO, skipped the meeting. Instead, special defence advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister, Malik Ahmed Khan, attended the meeting through video link.
Addressing the defence ministers of SCO member nations in New Delhi, Singh asserted that any terrorist act or its support to it in any form is a major crime against humanity, adding that peace and prosperity cannot exist due to the menace of terrorism.
“If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but to itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause for major concern not just from a security point of view, but also because it acts as a major hurdle to the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we wish to make the SCO a stronger and more credible organisation, our top priority must be to effectively deal with terrorism,” he said.
With China’s defence minister Li Shangfu present at the meet, Singh said India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation, which mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests. “New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the SCO members as it believes in maintaining peace and security, based on the provisions of the charter of the United Nations.”
India hosted the SCO meet in its capacity as the chair of the group. At the end of the talks, all SCO members signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous.
Defence ministers of China, Russia, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan attended the meeting.
