Connectivity should respect sovereignty, territorial integrity: PM Modi calls out China’s BRI at SCO meet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stated that connectivity should always respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, pointing that this is one of the fundamental principles of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) charter.
His remarks came as he addressed the SCO Summit in China, in the presence of top leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Connectivity should always respect sovereignty and territorial integrity – this is a fundamental principle of the SCO charter. Connectivity that bypasses sovereignty loses trust and meaning,” he said.
“India has always believed that strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust. With this in mind, we are working on initiatives like the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor. This will help us improve connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asia,” Modi added.
His remarks come days after the foreign ministers of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan agreed to expand their cooperation in multiple fields, including extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Kabul.
India has been severely critical of the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. New Delhi is also opposed to China’s Belt and Road initiative as the project includes the CPEC.
The Prime Minister also strongly condemned terrorism — invoking the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives – as he made his address in the presence of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif.
“The Pahalgam terror attack was not just an attack on India’s soul but an open challenge to all those countries that have faith in humanity. It raises a serious question — should a country openly supporting terrorism be acceptable to any of us?” the Prime Minister said.
“We must state clearly that no double standards will be tolerated in the fight against terrorism,” he said, urging the SCO group to adopt a zero tolerance policy against terrorism.
