'Partnership can't be built on unilateral agendas': S Jaishankar in Pakistan

External Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday emphasised the importance of genuine partnerships and peace and stability for development and growth at the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Islamabad, Pakistan. He stated that activities across borders characterised by terrorism and extremism hinder trade, energy flows and connectivity.

"Our endeavours will progress only when our commitment to the Charter remains firm. It is axiomatic that development and growth requires peace and stability. As the Charter spelt out, this means being firm and uncompromising in countering the ‘three evils’. If activities across borders are characterized by terrorism, extremism and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges in parallel," he said.

The minister also stressed the need for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to ensure representation of developing countries. He noted that the SCO should advocate for this change, promoting a more representative, inclusive and democratic Security Council.

It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

The external affairs minister will lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on Wednesday.

The two-day meeting of SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, will be chaired by Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif as the current chair of the Council.

Pakistan had assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 at the previous meeting held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023, where the country was represented by then interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the meeting will focus on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation. Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the 23rd Meeting of the SCO.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.