External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Islamabad marks a significant diplomatic event, being the first by a senior Indian minister in years. S Jaishankar is attending the SCO summit hosted by Pakistan, despite ongoing tensions.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the need for territorial integrity and cooperation based on mutual respect, in his remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Pakistan on Wednesday.
In the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan since Sushma Swaraj’s 2015 tour, Jaishankar called terrorism, extremism and separatism “three evils”. He added that cooperation between countries is built on genuine partnerships, not unilateral agendas.
Jaishankar mentioned the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, along with the Covid pandemic, to state that the summit comes at a “difficult time in world affairs”. “Disruptions of various kinds – ranging from extreme climate events to supply chain uncertainties and financial volatility – impact growth and development. Debt is a serious concern, even as the world falls behind in achieving Sustainable Development targets. Technology holds great promise, as well as raising a new host of concerns. How should the members of the SCO respond to these challenges?” he said.
The EAM also stressed the need for multi-faceted regional cooperation, to drive growth and conflict prevention. “Activities across borders characterised by terrorism and extremism are unlikely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity,” Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar arrived on Tuesday for his two-day Pakistan visit at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase, where he was welcomed by Ilyas Mehmood Nizami, Director General (South Asia) of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Children dressed in traditional attire presented him with flower bouquets. Later, he had a brief interaction with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today at an official dinner held for all the summit attendees.
The two-day meeting of SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, is being chaired by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif as the current chair of the Council. The meeting’s focus is on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation.
Sharif, meanwhile, called for the expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to enhance regional cooperation. “Flagship projects like the Belt and Road Initiative of President Xi Jinping…should be expanded focusing on developing road, rail and digital infrastructure that enhances integration and cooperation across our region,” Sharif said in his speech as the chair of the meeting.
The BRI is a $1 trillion plan for global infrastructure and energy networks that China launched a decade ago to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through land and maritime routes. Sharif said CPEC would also help enhance cooperation, adding that 40 per cent of the world’s population lived in SCO’s 10 full member states.
Mr Sharif also called on the leaders to use the SCO meeting to “exchange ideas, share best practices and forge concrete action plans that will benefit our economies and societies”. He expressed his hope for “wonderful outcomes that will emerge from our in-depth deliberations”. “Our collaboration, joint teamwork expands academic and tourism linkages, poverty alleviation, empowerment of women and youth across the SCO region are reflection and commitment of our determination to promote prosperity through unity,” he said.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus — with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”. The group claims to represent 40% of the world’s population and about 30 per cent of its GDP. Pakistan became a full member of the SCO at its 2017 summit in Kazakhstan.
