Global Courant
NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Central Asian countries must jointly fight terrorism, help Afghanistan and address global challenges such as food, fuel and fertilizer shortages.
Modi hosted the virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Tuesday as the Eurasian political and security group seeks to expand its influence by accepting Iran as a member.
He said the world is embroiled in disputes, tensions and the impact of the pandemic and global food, fuel and fertilizer crises are major challenges for all countries.
“We have to think together whether we as a group are able to meet the expectations and ambitions of our people? Are we able to meet modern challenges?’ said Mr Modi. “Will SCO become a group that is completely ready for the future?”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and leaders of four Central Asian countries participated in the online procedure, as did Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Formed in 2001 by China and Russia, with former Central Asian Soviet states as members and later joined by India and Pakistan, the eight-member SCO seeks to counter Western influence in Eurasia.
Iran will join as the ninth member on Tuesday and Belarus will sign a memorandum of obligations that will later lead to its membership.
When both countries, which have observer status and close ties to Moscow, are accepted as members of the SCO, the group will expand the group’s western flank in both Europe and Asia.
After Modi, China’s Mr Xi said the focus should be on pragmatic cooperation and accelerating economic recovery.
Pakistani Mr. Sharif said the international community in Afghanistan has come to a standstill and has been withheld the critical support Kabul needs to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
The summit comes just two weeks after Modi was received by US President Joe Biden for a state visit, with the two countries calling themselves “one of the closest partners in the world”.
India, which holds the presidency of the SCO and G-20 this year, has walked on a diplomatic tightrope as relations between Western countries and a partnership between Russia and China are fraught following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year and Beijing’s growing assertive presence in the global geopolitical theatre.
Putin spoke to Modi on a phone call last week in the wake of the mercenary mutiny. During the discussion, Mr Modi reiterated a call for dialogue and diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine.
Last year, on the sidelines of the Uzbekistan summit, Modi told Putin it was not the war era, and that is the closest India has come to addressing the issue directly with the Russian leader.
Both Mr Putin and Mr Xi are expected to visit New Delhi in September as India hosts the G-20 summit, and Mr Biden and leaders from other member states are also likely to attend.
India has refused to blame Russia for the war and has increased bilateral trade, largely by pushing Russian oil purchases to an all-time high, which has irked several Western capitals. REUTERS
