Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the plenary session of the 25th SCO Heads of State Council Summit, in Tianjin, China.
Credit: PTI Photo
The summit meeting of the Heads of State of the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) began on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other leaders of the organisation began a day-long deliberation to chalk out the future course of the bloc.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the leaders.
The 25th summit was formally kicked off here on Sunday night with a massive banquet hosted by Xi .
He says, "I am happy to participate in the SCO Summit. I want to thank President Xi Jinping for giving us a grand welcome. Today is the Independence Day of Uzbekistan, I congratulate them as well…”
"...India has played a very positive role as a member of the SCO. India's vision and policy for the SCO is based on three important pillars. S - Security, C- Connectivity and O - Opportunity”
"India has been bearing the brunt of the terrorism for the last four decades. Recently, we saw the worst side of terrorism in Pahalgam. I express my gratitude to the friendly country that stood with us in this hour of grief.”
PM Modi says, "... This attack was an open challenge to every country and person who believes in humanity. In such a situation, it is natural to raise the question of whether the open support of terrorism by some countries can be acceptable to us. We have to unanimously oppose terrorism in every form and colour. This is our duty towards humanity…”
But terrorism, separatism and extremism are big challenges in this path. Terrorism is not just a challenge to the security of a country but a common challenge for all of humanity. No country, no society, no citizen can consider itself safe from it. Therefore, India has emphasised unity in the fight against terrorism...India took the initiative to fight Al Qaeda and the terrorist organisations associated with it by leading the Joint Information Operation...We raised our voice against terror financing. I express gratitude for your support in it.
PM Modi says, "India has always believed that strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust. With this in mind, we are working on initiatives like the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor. This will help us improve connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asia.”