On July 4, 2023, the 23rd Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was virtually held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting of the council of heads of the member states was held virtually on July 4, with India hosting the summit for the first time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the meeting where Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif were in attendance, among other leaders.
The heads of the two SCO bodies, the Secretariat and the SCO RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure), were also present. The theme of the SCO summit was SECURE (S for Security, E for Economic Growth, C for Connectivity, U for Unity, R for Respect of Sovereignty and E for Environmental Protection.)
Here are PM Modi’s top quotes from the 23rd SCO Summit-
“We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for the SCO,” he asserted.
Concerning relations with Eurasia, he expressed, “India’s thousands of years old cultural and people-to-people ties with Eurasia is a living testimony to our shared heritage. As the chair of the SCO, India has made sustained efforts to take our multifaceted cooperation to new heights.”
“Terrorism is a threat to global and regional peace. We will have to fight against terrorism. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries and should condemn them. There should be no double standards on terrorism,” he said.
“We would be delighted to share India’s AI-based language barrier platform Bhashini with everyone to remove language barriers within SCO. It can become an example of digital technology and inclusive growth. The SCO has become a significant voice for reforms with the UN and other global institutions. I am delighted that Iran is joining the SCO family as a new member,” added Modi.
“Also, we welcome the signing of a memorandum of obligation for Belarus SCO membership,” he said. “The SCO has emerged as a key platform for peace, prosperity and development of Eurasia. Additionally, he highlighted that “The SCO must work for the welfare of the Afghan People and provide humanitarian aid”
“The situation in Afghanistan has a direct impact on the security of all of us,” Continuing further, he said that “The Afghan soil must not be used for destabilising our neighbourhood.”
“It is very important to respect the territorial integrity,” he said in an apparent reference to China for its aggression and border transgressions in Eastern Ladakh, Galwan and Arunachal Pradesh.
