Calls for no double standards
Bishkek, September 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to adopt a united approach against terrorism, calling for the dismantling of the networks that finance, recruit and radicalise terrorists.
Addressing the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, Modi said the fight against terrorism must go beyond an “action-reaction” approach and target the entire ecosystem supporting terrorist activities, including financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens.
He stressed that there could be no double standards in dealing with terrorism and said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of policy or provide shelter and support to terrorists must be made to understand that terrorism cannot become a strategic asset.
Modi also linked regional security with stability in Afghanistan, reiterating India’s commitment to development assistance and humanitarian support for the Afghan people.
Referring to the wider security environment, the Prime Minister said conflicts in one part of the world increasingly affect other regions through disruptions to energy supplies, maritime trade and global supply chains.
He said the impact of such disruptions was particularly severe for countries of the Global South and reiterated India’s position that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Highlighting the growing security challenges in the region, Modi said drug trafficking was not merely a criminal issue but also posed a threat to young people and regional stability. He welcomed SCO initiatives to establish mechanisms dealing with security threats, organised crime, information security and narcotics.
He called for these mechanisms to be strengthened into effective platforms for coordination and timely action among member states. Modi said India’s SCO vision rests on three pillars—Security, Connectivity and Opportunity—and called for these principles to be translated into concrete results over the organisation’s next 25 years.
