In an apparent reference to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that cooperation in areas like trade, energy, and connectivity were unlikely to flourish if activities across borders were characterised by terrorism, extremism, and separatism.
In his address at a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Jaishankar further claimed that cooperation has to be based on mutual respect and sovereign equality and should identify the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries.
External affairs minister led the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit in Islamabad that was chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Jaishankar said trust was paramount for cooperation and the SCO member nations can gain a lot if the group moves forward collectively.
He said cooperation must be based on mutual respect and sovereign equality. "It should recognise territorial integrity and sovereignty. It must be built on genuine partnerships, not unilateral agendas. It cannot progress if we cherry-pick global practices, especially of trade and transit," he said, in remarks seen as an indirect reference to China's assertive behavior on key issues.
"But above all, our efforts will forward only if our devotion to the Charter is steadfast. Since it is axiomatic that growth and development depend on peace and stability, it follows-as spelled out by the Charter-that this means firm and unbending resistance to the 'three evils'.".
"If activities across the 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 said.
Underlining the need for every SCO member nation to adhere strictly to the charter of the grouping, Jaishankar said that this is the essence of strengthening mutual trust, friendship, and good neighborliness.
"If trust is wanting or cooperation woefully inadequate if the friendship has lacked and good neighbourliness failed somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address," he said.
"Equally, it is only when we reaffirm our commitment most sincerely to the Charter that we can fully realise the benefits of cooperation and integration that it envisages," he added.
Jaishankar also referred to various global challenges.
"We meet at a challenging moment in world affairs. Two major conflicts are at the start of their course, each with its global knock-on effects. The Covid pandemic has left many in the developing world sorely battered," he said.
"Growth and development are being impacted by disruptions of all kinds-from extreme climate events to supply chain uncertainties and financial volatility," he added.
He also described debt as a seriously concerning challenge.
"Technology holds great promise as well as a whole new host of concerns," he said.
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