SCO Summit 2024: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Pakistan. During this, S Jaishankar also addressed the SCO meeting. During his address, S Jaishankar especially emphasized on eliminating terrorism. Let us tell you that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an international organization aimed at promoting political, economic and military cooperation in Eurasia. It was established in 2001 by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
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Let us know what S Jaishankar said during this meeting : 10 Key Points
1- Speak to Pakistan:Â Â S Jaishankar, while addressing the SCO meeting, gave a straight talk to China and Pakistan. He said that cooperation should be based on mutual respect, sovereign equality; it should recognize territorial integrity, sovereignty.Â
2- Straight talk on terrorism:Â S Jaishankar has given a befitting reply to Pakistan and China on terrorism from Pakistani soil. He said that terrorism is the biggest challenge for humanity today.Â
3- Participation in UNSC should be increased:Â S Jaishankar said that SCO should try to keep pace with the reforms of global institutions. Efforts should also be made to increase participation in the United Nations Security Council.Â
4- Charter is important:Â Foreign Minister Jaishankar underlined the importance of commitment to the group’s charter to reap the benefits of cooperation. He said that it is very important that we also take care of these things.
5- It is necessary to fight the three evils:Â S Jaishankar said that the member countries of SCO should fight the three evils with determination. This becomes even more important in the present times. For this, honest dialogue, trust, good neighbourliness and commitment to the SCO Charter is required. Â
6- Potential in Technology:Â At the SCO meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that technology has a lot of potential, but it also raises many concerns.
7- Debt a concern:Â Â He said debt is a matter of serious concern as the world has fallen behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
8- This is a difficult time:Â S Jaishankar said that we are meeting at a time when the world is going through a difficult time; two major conflicts are going on, which will have an impact on the whole world.Â
9- Elimination of terrorism is necessary: ​​He said that it is necessary to eliminate terrorism at all costs. No country can imagine development without eliminating terrorism.Â
10- Pointing towards CPEC:Â Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has said, pointing towards CPEC, that if we will promote only the selected practices of the world, especially for trade and business routes, then SCO will not be able to progress. Â
Jaishankar seen in a photo session with group leaders : India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar took part in a photo session with group leaders before attending the SCO meeting.
Shahbaz Sharif had hosted a dinner for SCO leaders: Earlier, PM Shahbaz Sharif had hosted a dinner for SCO leaders on Tuesday night. This is where PM Shahbaz and Jaishankar met. The Pakistani PM shook hands. Last year, at a SCO meeting in Goa, Jaishankar greeted Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto with a namaste and avoided shaking hands.
After dinner, a cultural program was also held for the SCO leaders. In this, a Pakistani artist performed Bharatnatyam. During this, Pakistani PM Shahbaz Sharif was seen sitting with the Prime Ministers of China and Kazakhstan.
Jaishankar shook hands with Pakistani PM again
Foreign Minister Jaishankar reached Jinnah Convention Center to attend the SCO meeting. Here he once again shook hands with Pakistani PM Shahbaz Sharif. Now in a short while Jaishankar will participate in a photo session with the group leaders.
Jaishankar planted a tree at the Indian Embassy in Pakistan: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar planted a tree at the Indian Embassy in Islamabad. Here he planted an Arjuna tree.
SCO Summit 2024: Heads of states of 8 countries are participating
The heads of eight member countries are participating in this SCO meeting. India’s foreign minister and Iran’s trade minister will also attend the meeting. Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Raza Asif was supposed to attend the meeting but his visit to Pakistan was postponed at the last moment.
Jaishankar and Chinese PM met
According to the Times of India report, there was not much conversation between Shahbaz and Jaishankar during the dinner. During the dinner, Jaishankar and Chinese PM Li Qiang also met and the two talked for some time.
Earlier, the Pakistan government uploaded a video of Jaishankar’s arrival for the SCO meeting, with the caption – ‘There will be exciting talks ahead.’ However, Jaishankar has already ruled out any bilateral talks. In such a situation, there is very little possibility of him talking to any Pakistani leader.
Pakistan tour after 8 years and 10 months
Foreign Minister Jaishankar is the first Indian leader to visit Pakistan after 8 years and 10 months. That is why this visit is also special. Before him, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Pakistan on 25 December 2015. Then Modi had reached Lahore on a surprise visit.
He met Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. Since his visit, no Prime Minister or minister of India has visited Pakistan.
Just a year after Modi’s visit, in 2016, four terrorists entered the Indian Army’s brigade headquarters in Uri. 19 Indian Army soldiers were martyred in this attack.
Since then, tensions have increased in the relations between the two countries. After the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, the relations between the two countries deteriorated further. However, despite all this, the then Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto came to India last year to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of SCO countries in Goa.
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Why there was a need to create SCO
In 1991, the Soviet Union broke into several parts. After this, border disputes started between Russia’s neighbouring countries due to the boundaries not being decided. To ensure that these disputes do not turn into war, Russia felt the need to form an organisation.
Russia also feared that China might take over the lands of small countries bordering it which were members of the Soviet Union. In such a situation, Russia formed an organization in 1996 along with China and former Soviet countries. It was announced in Shanghai city of China, hence the organization was named Shanghai Five. Initially, the 5 member countries of this organization included Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.
When the border disputes between these countries were resolved, it was given the form of an international organization. In 2001, another country Uzbekistan announced to join these five countries, after which it was named Shanghai Cooperation Organization i.e. SCO.
Main objectives and work of SCO
When the SCO countries resolved the border dispute, its objective changed. Now its main objective was to protect the member countries from three types of evil…
- Separatism
- Terrorism
- Religious fundamentalism
Russia felt that radical thinking should not grow in the countries around it. Due to being close to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, terrorist organizations started growing in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, such as IMU i.e. Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and HUT in Kyrgyzstan. In such a situation, Russia and China continued the fight against these three types of devils through SCO. Apart from this, strengthening mutual trust and relations between member countries is also the main work of this organization. This organization is working to increase cooperation among member countries in areas such as politics, trade, economy, science, technology, energy, environmental protection.
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Earlier, India refused to join SCO
After the formation of SCO, India was also invited to join it. However, at that time India refused to join it.
Meanwhile, China started a campaign to make Pakistan a member of this organization. This made Russia fear the growing influence of China in the organization. Then Russia advised India to also join this organization.
After this, India became a permanent member of this organization in 2017. There are 5 more reasons for India to join this organization…
- India’s trade with SCO member countries was increasing, hence to improve relations with this organization.
- If India has to expand its reach in Central Asia, then the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is important. The reason for this is that all the countries of Central Asia sit together in this organisation.
- India does not have any other organization to present its stand on Afghanistan. If India has to decide its role in Afghanistan, then it needs the cooperation of all these countries.
- India needs the cooperation of SCO countries to eliminate the problem of terrorism and drugs.
- The countries of Central Asia also needed India in this organization. They did not want small countries so that only China and Russia could dominate the organization. For this, they wanted India as a balancing power.
