At the SCO summit in Islamabad, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar indirectly criticized Pakistan, stating that trade cannot flourish amid “terrorism, extremism, and separatism.” With Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif present, Jaishankar emphasized that peace and stability are essential for development and growth.
He called for the SCO to be “firm and uncompromising” in tackling these issues. “SCO’s primary goal of combatting terrorism, separatism and extremism is even more crucial in current times. It requires honest conversation, trust, good neighborliness and reaffirming commitment to SCO Charter. SCO needs to be firm and uncompromising in countering the ‘three evils’,” he said.
“If trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate, if friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere”, he said.
Jaishankar underscored the necessity of mutual respect and recognition of territorial integrity in fostering cooperation among member states. He warned that a lack of trust and inadequate cooperation necessitate introspection among nations. By reaffirming their commitment to the SCO Charter, member countries can fully realize the benefits of integration and collaboration, which are vital not only for their own interests but also for regional stability.