Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of terrorism and said nations which provided encouragement, support and financial help to the menace needed to be called out. Without naming Pakistan, he reiterated his call for a global conference to deal with the challenges posed by terrorism.
The Bishkek Declaration, which was particularly on the same tone as India's case, said terrorism and spread of terrorist ideology were among the issues which required special attention because they were "cross-border in nature". It also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, stressing that acts of terrorism and extremism cannot be justified.
The declaration also said the member-states believed it was important to take comprehensive measures to intensify efforts against terrorism and its ideology, as well as to determine and eliminate the factors and conditions that prommote terrorism and extremism. It said, "They (member states) note that interfering in other countries' domestic affairs under the pretext of fighting terrorism and extremism as well as using terrorist, extremist and radical groups to achieve one's own mercenary ends is unacceptable."
"The member states condemn the propaganda of the ideology of terrorism, extremism and religious intolerance, as well as manifestations of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or convictions in any form." “It is a priority to step up the international community’s joint efforts to counter the attempts to involve young people in the activities of terrorist, separatist and extremist groups and will continue to focus on preventing the spread of religious intolerance, xenophobia and racial discrimination, it added.
Meanwhile, Modi said, “I was recently in Sri Lanka where I visited St Anthony’s Church (where the Easter bombings took place). There I was again reminded of the ugly face of terrorism which surfaces anytime and anywhere to claim innocent lives. It is now time for all humanitarian forces to rise above their narrow confines and come together to deal with this danger." He added that countries which supported terrorism needed to be held responsible for their action. Modi also called on the SCO member-states to cooperate under the SCO regional anti-terrorist structure to end terrorism.
The PM said in his address that a peaceful, united, safe and prosperous Afghanistan was vital for the stability and security in the SCO. “Our goal is to support the people and the government of Afghanistan for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled comprehensive peace process. We are happy that a further roadmap has been prepared at the SCO Afghanistan contact group,” he said.
He came up with a new template he described as "HEALTH" for cooperation among SCCO members. He said H stood for Healthcare cooperation, E for Economic cooperation, A for Alternative energy, L for Literature, T for Terrorism-free society, and the last H for Humanitarian cooperation.
Modi holds talks with Chinese Premier
Meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the SCO summit, Modi told him that Pakistan needs to take concrete action to address concerns raised by India and create an atmosphere "free of terrorism" which was not evident on the ground. While reaffirming the "Wuhan spirit" between India and China, Modi emphasised that India-Pakistan issues will remain a bilateral matter and said he had tried to pursue better relations but the process had been derailed.
At the first India-China bilateral meeting, Modi responded to Xi's suggestion of resumption of the India-Pakistan dialogue by firmly stating that it was a bilateral matter and making it clear that Pakistan has not done enough to restart talks. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale briefed journalists and said that India has a "consistent position". Modi told Xi, "We discuss all issues through a bilateral mechanism, look for peaceful settlement through negotiations." He also added that he had personally made "efforts in this regard but they have been derailed."
The meeting came after China recently allowed the sanctioning of Pakistan-based terror mastermind Masood Azhar after having blocked the move for years at the UN Security Council. Modi also underlined verifiable action against anti-India groups as the bottom line for any fresh dialogue between India and Pakistan. Gokhale said Xi accepted Modi's invitation to come to India later this year for the second edition of the informal "Wuhan-type" summit. While reports have said it could be in October in Varanasi, though Gokhale clarified that "a date and venue is yet to be set".
The meeting was scheduled to run for 20 minutes, but Gokhale said it went well over time. The PMO tweeted, " Deepening friendship with China. PM @narendramodi’s first meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit is with President Xi Jinping. Both leaders are discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral relations".
Imran Khan makes veiled attack on India over Kashmir
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday made a veiled attack on India over Kashmir during his address at the SCO summit. He said, "Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including State-terrorism against people under illegal occupation." Relations between India and Pakistan reached a stalemate after the Pulwama terror attack, where India lost over 40 CRPF personnel.
No meeting between Modi, Imran
No meeting was held between Modi and his Pakistan counterpart during the informal dinner hosted by Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov for the SCO leaders. Sources said Khan and Modi did not even exchange pleasantries during the dinner. While Khan made his debut in the summit, this is Modi's first visit to a multilateral forum after being re-elected for a second term.
On its part, India has already clarified that there would be no bilateral meeting between the two leaders. The decision came despite Khan writing a letter to Modi saying Islamabad wants dialogue with New Delhi to resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries. Also, Modi's chartered plane did not take the Pakistani air space for flying to Bishkek and instead, flew via the circuitous route through Oman and Iran.
