While addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit virtually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday drew attention to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan when he said that change of power in that country is not inclusive and took place without negotiation.
“The change of power in Afghanistan happened without negotiation and questions arise on the acceptability of the new system. Representation of all sections of Afghanistan including women and minorities is important. The developments in Afghanistan should be as inclusive as possible and women and children should be protected,” he said.
PM Modi also highlighted the problems caused by growing radicalisation and extremism in the SCO region which runs counter to the history of the region as a bastion of moderate and progressive cultures and values. “The 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. And the root cause of these problems is the increasing radicalisation. The recent developments in Afghanistan have highlighted the challenge. The SCO should take the initiative to counter this problem,” he said.
“If we take a look at history, we will find that Central Asia has been a bastion of moderate and progressive cultures and values. Sufism flourished here over the centuries and spread throughout the region and the world. We can still see them in the cultural heritage of this region. Based on this historical heritage of Central Asia, SCO should make a common template of fighting radicalisation and extremism. In India, and in almost all the countries of the SCO, there are moderate, tolerant, and inclusive institutions and traditions associated with Islam,” said the Prime Minister. He also highlighted India’s concerns over regional stability and asked the SCO member states, which includes China and Pakistan, to ensure the grouping works closely together on issues like connectivity and trust.
The PM welcomed Iran as the new member country of SCO. “This year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of SCO. I welcome Iran as a new member country of the SCO. I also welcome the three new dialogue partners—Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar.”
In his six-minute virtual address at SCO-CHS Summit in Tajikistan capital Dushanbe, he flagged his concerns over the serious humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, noting that the economic woes of the Afghan people are increasing due to the blockage in financial and trade flows. He said the global community should be careful in the way it approaches issues related to Afghanistan. The PM suggested that the SCO could develop a code of conduct on ‘zero tolerance’ towards terrorism in the region and highlighted the risks of uncontrolled flow of drugs, illegal weapons, and human trafficking from Afghanistan. Further, PM Modi called upon the world leaders to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Afghanistan in an unhindered manner.
The PM also said that 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,” added PM Modi. Making a case for stronger trade links, he said that Central Asian countries could unlock vast economic potential by connecting with the Chabahar port in Iran.
