Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the biggest challenges for Asian countries are related to the increasing radicalisation and the Afghanistan situation has made that visible.
PM Modi addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, on Friday.
PM Modi said, “20th anniversary of SCO is the right time to think about the future of SCO. The biggest challenges in this area are related to peace, security and trust deficit. The root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation and the recent developments in Afghanistan have made this challenge clear.”
“SCO should work to develop strong network among the moderate, tolerant and inclusive institutions and traditions associated with Islam,” said PM Modi.
He further added, “India is committed to increasing its connectivity with Central Asia. We believe that landlocked Central Asian countries can benefit immensely by connecting with India’s vast market.”
“Any connectivity initiative cannot be one-way. To ensure mutual trust, connectivity projects should be consultative, transparent and participatory. There should be respect for the territorial integrity of all countries,” PM Modi said while addressing the SCO Summit.
PM Modi also welcomed Iran as the newest member of the SCO in its 20th year. He said, “I welcome Iran as a new member country of the SCO. I also welcome the three new dialogue partners – Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar.”
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“We must encourage our talented youngsters towards science and rational thinking. We can bring our startups and entrepreneurs together to make the innovative spirit towards making India a stakeholder in emerging technology,” said PM Modi while addressing the SCO Summit on Friday.
