Dushanbe:
India on Tuesday told the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that a greater number of institutions does not necessarily translate into greater achievements, urging the grouping to remain efficient, avoid duplicating mechanisms and focus on delivering practical value to member states.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the remarks 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 urged the groping to build on the foundation laid over the past 25 years and chart a forward-looking roadmap focused on consensus-driven cooperation and tangible outcomes.
"Our success should be measured by the opportunities we create for youth, new markets we open for our entrepreneurs, technologies we make available to our farmers and small-scale business owners, and the connections we foster among societies," he said.
According to the ministry, the heads of delegation adopted the Joint Communique of the meeting, including the SCO budget for 2027, relevant financial and administrative decisions and the Action Plan for the Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Programme (PMTEC) for 2026-2030, which India backed.
The meeting reviewed progress in economic and trade cooperation among member states and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in transport, finance, digital economy and social development.
Describing terrorism as one of the most serious threats to peace and development, Singh said that terrorism can never be justified and there should be no double standards in addressing it.
"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 said.
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