Opening the online SCO summit on 4 July 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi summed up the results of his country’s chairmanship and spoke about efforts to bring multifaceted cooperation in the SCO to new heights.
Modi highlighted five new pillars of cooperation established by India within the SCO. These are Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Youth Empowerment, Digital Inclusion, and Shared Buddhist Heritage.
India has hosted more than 140 programs, conferences and meetings within the SCO under its chairmanship. “In the fourteen Ministerial-level meetings of the SCO, we have collectively prepared several important documents. With these we are adding new and modern dimensions to our cooperation – like • Cooperation on emerging fuels in the energy sector; • Collaboration on decarbonization in the transportation sector and digital transformation; • Cooperation in the field of digital public infrastructure”, Modi said.
A lot of efforts were directed at strengthening contacts between peoples. Thus, for the first time, the SCO Millet Food Festival, Film Festival, SCO Surajkund Craft Mela, Think Tanks Conference, and International Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage were organized.
Is SCO evolving into an organization that is fully prepared for the future? In this regard, India supports the proposals for reforms and modernization within the SCO.
Congratulating Iran on joining the Organization and welcoming the signing of a Memorandum of Commitments on Belarus’ accession to the SCO, Modi stressed that the interest of other countries in joining the SCO today is a testament to the importance of this organization. “In this process, it is essential for SCO to maintain its primary focus on the interests and aspirations of the Central Asian countries”, he added.
Touching upon the Afghan issue, Modi noted: “We must come together to strive for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan. Humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens; the formation of an inclusive government; the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking; and ensuring the rights of women, children, and minorities are our shared priorities.”
Speaking about the importance of connectivity in the SCO space, the Prime Minister of India pointed out that after Iran’s accession to the SCO, it is possible to work on maximizing the utilization of the Chabahar Port. “The International North-South Transport Corridor can serve as a secure and efficient route for landlocked countries in Central Asia to access the Indian Ocean. We should strive to realize its full potential”, he stressed. ///nCa, 5 July 2023
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