PM Modi Pushes SCO on Security, Connectivity
PM calls for stronger action against terrorism and people-driven cooperation at Bishkek summit
- PM Modi urged SCO members to move from vision to concrete outcomes.
- He called for a united approach against terrorism and its support networks.
- India backed stronger trade connectivity while stressing national sovereignty.
- PM highlighted youth, entrepreneurship and civilisational dialogue as key priorities.
GG News Bureau
BISHKEK, 1st Aug: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for stronger cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members as he addressed the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, urging the grouping to convert its 25-year foundation of dialogue into tangible outcomes.
Modi said India’s vision for the SCO is based on three pillars — Security, Connectivity and Opportunity — and stressed that these priorities should directly benefit people across the Eurasian region.
He thanked Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov for the warm welcome and hospitality and congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its Independence Day. He also extended greetings to Uzbekistan on its Independence Day.
Modi calls for united fight against terrorism
The Prime Minister said peace and security were the foremost requirements for advancing SCO cooperation.
He called for dismantling the entire ecosystem associated with terrorism, including terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens. Modi stressed that there should be no double standards in the fight against terrorism.
He also underlined the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan and said India would continue contributing to development and humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people.
Referring to the West Asia conflict, Modi said conflicts in one region can affect the wider world through disruptions to energy security, maritime trade and supply chains.
India, he said, has consistently maintained that tensions and conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than on the battlefield.
Modi also called drug trafficking a serious threat to young people and regional security and urged SCO mechanisms dealing with organised crime, information security and narcotics to focus on practical coordination and timely action.
Connectivity must respect sovereignty
On connectivity, Modi said India supported initiatives that connect markets, facilitate trade and create new development opportunities.
He stressed, however, that connectivity projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, in line with the SCO Charter.
The Prime Minister called for cooperation beyond roads, railways and air corridors, including simplified customs procedures, digital documentation and more efficient logistics networks.
Youth at the centre of SCO cooperation
Modi said the success of SCO cooperation should ultimately be measured by the opportunities created for young people, entrepreneurs and farmers.
He highlighted initiatives such as the SCO Start-up Forum, Young Authors’ Conclave and Young Scientists’ Forum as examples of India’s efforts to strengthen people-to-people engagement.
He also recalled India’s proposal for the SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum, saying its first session would be held in India this year.
Modi said the SCO should become increasingly people-driven rather than being limited to government-to-government cooperation.
Quoting Kyrgyz literary figure Chingiz Aitmatov, the Prime Minister said countries should focus on what unites them rather than what divides them.
He called for the SCO to move from shared geography to shared opportunities, from vision to outcomes, and from government-driven cooperation to people-driven partnership.
