Dushanbe [Tajikistan], October 20 (ANI): India conveyed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday that a greater number of institutions does not necessarily translate into greater achievements, pressing the bloc to maintain operational efficiency, steer clear of duplicating mechanisms, and concentrate on delivering practical value to member states.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh articulated these observations while representing India at the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in Dushanbe.
“India believes that the SCO must remain efficient and steadfast in its adherence to the principles of sovereign equality, consensus, and mutual respect. A greater number of institutions does not necessarily translate into greater achievements. New mechanisms should focus on clearly identified needs, avoid duplication, and prioritise delivering practical value to Member States,” Singh was quoted as saying by the Ministry of Defence at the Dushanbe meeting.
The Defence Minister exhorted the grouping to build upon the groundwork established over the preceding quarter-century and delineate a forward-looking roadmap centred on consensus-driven collaboration and concrete outcomes.
Highlighting citizen-centric benchmarks, he stated that success ought to be evaluated through opportunities generated for young people, fresh markets unlocked for entrepreneurs, technologies extended to farmers and micro-business proprietors, as well as societal linkages fostered.
As per ministry accounts, the delegation heads endorsed the joint communique of the meeting, alongside financial and administrative resolutions encompassing the SCO budget for 2027 and the Action Plan for the Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Programme (PMTEC) spanning 2026 to 2030, which received India’s backing.
The assembly evaluated headway achieved in economic and trade cooperation among member countries while deliberating avenues to intensify collaboration across transportation, finance, the digital economy, and social development.
Characterising terrorism as among the gravest perils to peace and development, Singh asserted that terrorism can never be justified and insisted that there must be no double standards when tackling the menace.
“Terrorism remains one of the most serious threats to peace and development. Terrorism not only harms innocent lives but also disrupts investment and commerce. Terrorism radicalises societies and deprives our youth of the opportunities they deserve. Therefore, there can be no justification for terrorism. There can be no double standards in dealing with it (terrorism), and there can be no place for those who finance, support, or provide safe haven to terrorists. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively eliminated,” he stated. (ANI)
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