‘Terrorism won’t boost trade, connectivity’: Jaishankar at SCO in Islamabad

Without naming India’s next-door neighbor, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, while addressing the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad, said, “If activities across borders are characterized by terrorism, extremism, and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges in parallel.”

Jaishankar is the second Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan after former FM Sushma Swaraj, who visited the country in December 2015. He arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday evening and attended a dinner hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with other dignitaries, where he is believed to have briefly interacted with Pakistani PM.

On Wednesday morning, Indian FM Jaishankar posted pictures of himself taking a morning walk with Indian diplomats and planting a sapling on the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

While presenting a national statement at the SCO on Wednesday afternoon, he said that the SCO charter is committed to combatting three key challenges—terrorism, separatism, and extremism. He said, “SCO’s primary goal of combatting these three evils is even more crucial in current times.” He noted that the same was possible with an honest conversation, trust, good neighborliness, and reaffirming commitment to the SCO Charter. He added, “SCO needs to be firm and uncompromising in countering the ‘three evils.'”

 “If trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate if friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address. Equally, it is only when we reaffirm our commitment most sincerely to the Charter that we can fully realize the benefits of cooperation and integration that it envisages.” He added.

He said that the member countries must promote synergies in various areas, “Industrial cooperation can enhance competitiveness and expand labour markets. MSME collaboration has positive implications for employment. Our collective endeavors can expand resources and encourage investment flows.” He said, “Whether it is health, food, or energy security, we are all clearly better off working together.”

Other leaders who attended this summit included Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of Ministers Cabinet Zhaparov Akylbek, and Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref.