Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, May 5: S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, criticised Pakistan for its role in terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa on Friday without specifically naming Pakistan.
When EAM Jaishankar spoke about terrorism, he said that the threat of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, persists unabatedly.
“The menace of terrorism continues unabated. There can be no justification for terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. Combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of SCO,” said EAM Jaishankar at SCO foreign ministers meet in Goa.
He further added that “the terrorism menace and terror funding must be stopped.”
“Taking our eyes off terrorism would be detrimental to our security interests. We firmly believe there can be no justification for terrorism. It must be stopped in all its forms, including cross-border terror. Channel of finances for terrorist activities must be seized and blocked without distinction,” he stated.
Hosting the first-ever Indian presidency of SCO, EAM Jaishankar said, “Under our presidency of SCO, we successfully concluded more than 100 meetings and events, including 15 ministerial level meets.”
“India attaches great importance to development of multifaceted cooperation in SCO and to promotion of peace, stability,” he said.
India also suggested using English as the SCO’s official language.
The presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan established the SCO at a conference in Shanghai in 2001.
In 2017, India and Pakistan became permanent members.
India was granted observer status at the SCO in 2005 and has regularly taken part in the group’s ministerial-level meetings, which primarily address security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.
India has expressed its keen interest to strengthen its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which focuses on security and defence-related problems.
