External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday along with other heads of delegations attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting.
In his address at the SCO meeting, the External Affairs Minister reiterated India’s firm position against terrorism, stating that there can be no justification, no overlooking and no whitewashing of terror in any form. He said India has the sovereign right to defend its citizens and called for a unified approach to counter terrorism across the region.
Jaishankar noted that combating terrorism, separatism and extremism has been a foundational principle of the SCO and said these threats have become increasingly serious. He urged member states to adopt a zero-tolerance stance.
The Minister also highlighted the need for organisational reform and modernisation within the SCO. He called for greater flexibility, new collaborations and prioritisation of long-pending decisions, including making English an official language of the grouping. He pointed to India’s initiatives such as the SCO Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and the SCO Startup Forum aimed at promoting innovation among youth.
Addressing global economic instability, Jaishankar said that the international economic environment remains volatile and stressed the need to diversify and de-risk supply chains. He underlined that trade engagements must be fair, transparent and equitable, adding that India is advancing free trade arrangements with several SCO partners.
On cultural and humanitarian cooperation, the EAM emphasised the importance of people-to-people exchanges. He cited India’s cultural linkages with the region, including exhibitions of sacred Buddhist relics, and offered India’s expertise in heritage conservation to Central Asian countries. He recalled India’s humanitarian outreach during the pandemic and relief assistance to Afghanistan.
On the sidelines of the forum, Jaishankar met Mongolia’s Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. He also thanked Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for hosting the summit.
The 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government was held in Moscow on November 17–18. Along with India, SCO member states include Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.