News Analysis India

Tag: SCO meet

  • EAM Jaishankar pitches for better connectivity in SCO region

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday pitched for better connectivity in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) region, but underlined that such projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.

    In an address at a virtual meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), Jaishankar said the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor could become enablers for connectivity in the region.

    “Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded. Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states,” he tweeted. 

    Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded.-Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states. pic.twitter.com/9EjQrekpaX
    — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 1, 2022
    The external affairs minister said, “connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and respect international law”. His remarks are seen as a reference to China’s Belt and Road initiative.

    “Our total trade with SCO Members is only $141 billion, which has the potential to increase manifold. Fair market access is to our mutual benefit and the only way to move forward,” Jaishankar said.

    The CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the bloc and approves its annual budget.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.

    The annual SCO summit took place in the Uzbek city of Samarkand last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the grouping attended it.

    Usually, the heads of government meeting of the SCO is represented by foreign ministers while a number of countries send their prime ministers also.

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday pitched for better connectivity in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) region, but underlined that such projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.

    In an address at a virtual meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), Jaishankar said the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor could become enablers for connectivity in the region.

    “Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded. Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states,” he tweeted. 

    Represented India at the meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government which has just concluded.
    -Underlined that we need better connectivity in the SCO region built on centrality of interests of Central Asian states. pic.twitter.com/9EjQrekpaX
    — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 1, 2022
    The external affairs minister said, “connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and respect international law”. His remarks are seen as a reference to China’s Belt and Road initiative.

    “Our total trade with SCO Members is only $141 billion, which has the potential to increase manifold. Fair market access is to our mutual benefit and the only way to move forward,” Jaishankar said.

    The CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the bloc and approves its annual budget.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.

    The annual SCO summit took place in the Uzbek city of Samarkand last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the grouping attended it.

    Usually, the heads of government meeting of the SCO is represented by foreign ministers while a number of countries send their prime ministers also.

  • SCO meet: Jaishankar unlikely to hold bilateral talks with Bilawal Bhutto

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tashkent on Friday where he will have bilateral talks with the other members. However, it is unlikely for him to have any such talks with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto.

    “Diplomatic relations with Pakistan have been downgraded at the moment after Bilawal Bhutto’s statements in support of Yasin Malik and other Kashmiri separatists. Therefor, it unlikely for Dr Jaishankar to have any bilateral talks with him,” say sources.

    However, there is every possibility of the foreign minister holding talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Iran is joining as the ninth member of SCO and Dr Jaishankar is likely to have talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

    It may be recalled that during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held last month in Kigali (Rwanda), Dr Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar didn’t pose for any photos nor did they shake hands.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan has decided to call back its chess team from India (who had come to take part in the Chess Olympiad in Chennai). They had objected to India taking the torch for the event in Srinagar.

    “Jammu and Kashmir (including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and Ladakh are an integral part of India. So we are free to do what we want over there. No country should have any reason to object. It is unfortunate that Pakistan is politicizing a sporting event – especially after they have sent in their team,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

    More recently India was miffed and vehemently opposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s suggestion of including a third country in their projects. CPEC has some projects coming up in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and India has criticized this. “Any activities undertaken in the POK will be against our territorial integrity. We reject the idea of any third country being a part of it,” says MEA.

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tashkent on Friday where he will have bilateral talks with the other members. However, it is unlikely for him to have any such talks with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto.

    “Diplomatic relations with Pakistan have been downgraded at the moment after Bilawal Bhutto’s statements in support of Yasin Malik and other Kashmiri separatists. Therefor, it unlikely for Dr Jaishankar to have any bilateral talks with him,” say sources.

    However, there is every possibility of the foreign minister holding talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Iran is joining as the ninth member of SCO and Dr Jaishankar is likely to have talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

    It may be recalled that during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held last month in Kigali (Rwanda), Dr Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar didn’t pose for any photos nor did they shake hands.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan has decided to call back its chess team from India (who had come to take part in the Chess Olympiad in Chennai). They had objected to India taking the torch for the event in Srinagar.

    “Jammu and Kashmir (including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and Ladakh are an integral part of India. So we are free to do what we want over there. No country should have any reason to object. It is unfortunate that Pakistan is politicizing a sporting event – especially after they have sent in their team,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

    More recently India was miffed and vehemently opposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s suggestion of including a third country in their projects. CPEC has some projects coming up in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and India has criticized this. “Any activities undertaken in the POK will be against our territorial integrity. We reject the idea of any third country being a part of it,” says MEA.