Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for a united and comprehensive global fight against terrorism, urging Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens.
Addressing the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, PM Modi said terrorism remained a serious challenge to humanity and that countries could not limit their response to an “action-reaction approach”.
“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens,” the Prime Minister said.
He called for the SCO to speak with one voice against terrorism and stressed that there could be no double standards on the issue.
“We must send a strong message to countries that use terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide safe haven and support to terrorists that terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone,” PM Modi said.
India’s ‘SCO’ vision: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity
PM Modi said India’s vision for the SCO rests on three pillars – Security, Connectivity and Opportunity – and asserted that the time had come to translate these pillars from a vision into concrete outcomes.
He said peace and security were the foremost requirements for achieving the grouping’s shared development goals.
The Prime Minister also linked regional security with developments in Afghanistan and West Asia. He said peace and stability in Afghanistan were closely connected with the goal of a peaceful and secure Eurasia, adding that India would continue its development and humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
Referring to the crisis in West Asia, PM Modi said conflicts in one part of the world increasingly have repercussions globally, affecting energy security, maritime trade and supply chains.
“The countries of the Global South bear the greatest brunt of such disruptions,” he said.
Reiterating India’s position on conflicts, PM Modi said tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than on the battlefield.
He also described drug trafficking as more than a criminal activity, calling it a serious threat to young people and regional security. The Prime Minister welcomed the establishment of SCO Centres dealing with security threats, organised crime, information security and narcotics, and called for these mechanisms to become effective platforms for practical coordination and timely action.
PM Modi stresses sovereignty in connectivity initiatives
On the second pillar of India’s SCO vision, PM Modi said strong and reliable connectivity was essential for shared development.
“India supports all efforts that connect markets, facilitate trade, and open up new avenues for development,” the Prime Minister said.
However, he emphasised that connectivity initiatives must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, which he said was also the fundamental spirit of the SCO Charter.
PM Modi said connectivity in the coming years would extend beyond roads, railways and air corridors. He called for simplified customs procedures, greater use of digital documentation and more efficient logistics networks to facilitate trade.
People-to-people ties at heart of SCO cooperation
Highlighting Opportunity as the third pillar, the Prime Minister said the benefits of SCO cooperation should directly reach people.
“For India, the SCO is a confluence of great civilisations, cultures, and ideas,” he said, stressing that people-to-people ties should remain at the heart of cooperation during the next 25 years of the organisation.
PM Modi said the success of the SCO should be measured by the opportunities created for young people, new markets opened for entrepreneurs, benefits of technology reaching farmers and improvements in the lives of citizens.
“This is the true meaning of ‘Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity’,” he said.
The Prime Minister also called for SCO cooperation to become more people-driven rather than being limited to governments.
He welcomed the emphasis on youth engagement under Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship and highlighted India’s initiatives, including the SCO Start-up Forum, Young Authors’ Conclave and Young Scientists’ Forum.
First SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum to be held in India
PM Modi recalled that India had proposed the SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum last year and said its first session would be held in India this year.
He expressed confidence that the forum, with the active participation of SCO members, would become a strong platform for vibrant civilisational dialogue within the grouping.
Referring to Kyrgyz literary figure Chingiz Aitmatov, PM Modi cited his message about focusing on what unites people rather than what divides them, saying the thought remained relevant to the SCO.
“Our diversity is our identity, and our shared purpose is our strength,” the Prime Minister said.
Concluding his address, PM Modi called on the SCO to move “from shared geography to shared opportunities, from vision to outcomes, and from government-driven cooperation to people-driven partnership.”
He reaffirmed India’s readiness to contribute to the SCO’s collective journey towards greater peace, security, development and prosperity across the region.
