New Delhi: India on Thursday strongly condemned terrorism and called on the international community to isolate countries that harbor terrorists.
Delivering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit in Astana, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was physically present at the meeting, said that terrorism continues to be used by nations as a tool of destabilization.
“We have had our own experiences with cross-border terrorism. Let us be clear that terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned. Harboring terrorists must be strongly condemned. Cross-border terrorism requires a decisive response and terrorism financing and recruitment must be effectively countered,” he said.
The summit was attended by several world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Russian President Vladimir Putin among others.
He said there can’t be double standards on the issue of terrorism.
The world is currently experiencing profound shifts driven by geopolitical tensions, geo-economic forces, and geo-technological advancements, he said.
“As we look ahead, there are both immediate and systemic challenges and opportunities arising from them. Even as we address those, let us be clear that the world is inexorably moving towards real multipolarity. In such a scenario, the SCO will only become more important. But its true value would depend on how well all of us cooperate amongst ourselves. We have already had that discussion within the SCO. The same extends to the extended family as well,” Jaishankar stated.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar also held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of State Summit in Astana.
The Jaishankar-Wang talks came amid the dragging border row in eastern Ladakh that entered its fifth year in May.
“Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end. Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential,” he wrote on social media platform X.
